M  E  M  O  I  K 


JOY; 


. 


ICI 


:  ,       ED  :   NO.  5,  SPR 


. 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


973.7114 
L94We 
cop.  7 

I.H.S.       } 


MEMOIR 


REV.  ELIJAH  P.  LOVE  JOY; 

WHO  WAS  MURDERED 

at 

DEFENCE  OF  THE  LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS, 
AT  ALTON,  ILLINOIS,  NOV.  7,  1837. 

V 

BY  JOSEPH  C.  AND  OWEN  LOVEJOY. 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 
JOHN  Q.UINCY  ADAMS. 


NEW    YORK: 
PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  S.  TAYLOR, 

BRICK  CHURCH  CHAPEL, 

Corner  of  Park  How  and  Spruce  Street. 

1838. 


ENTERED 
According  to  an  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1838,  by 

JOHN     S.     TAYLOR, 

In  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  for  tho  Southern  District  ol 
NEW  YORK. 


8TEREOTTPED  BY  SMITH  AND  WRIGHT, 

216  WILLIAM  STREET 

NEW  YORK. 


93.  ?/ 


7 

INTRODUCTION 


TO    THE    MEMOIR    OF    THE    LIFE    OF    THE  REV.  ELIJAH  P. 

LOVEJOY,  MURDERED  IN  THE  DEFENCE    OF  THE  LIB- 

ERTY OF  THE  PRESS    AT  ALTON,  IN  THE    STATE 

OF    ILLINOIS,  ON   THE  7TH  NOVEMBER,  1837 

IN  the  biographical  narratives  of  the  Founder  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  of  his  primitive  disciples,  there  is 
an  internal  evidence  of  truth,  not  less  conclusive  than 
that  of  the  miraeles  which  they  performed.  The  mira- 
cles were  the  evidence  necessary  to  prove  the  authen- 
ticity of  his  mission  to  his  cotemporaries,  to  whom  he 
was  accredited,  to  whom  he  revealed  the  hidden  rays 
tery  of  their  own  immortality,  and  to  whom  he  proclaimed 
the  laws  of  their  own  nature,  the  obligations  of  mutual 
benevolence  and  charity  :  —  love  upon  earth  —  andZ«/e  here- 
after, were  the  everlasting  pillars  of  his  system  of  reli- 
gion and  of  morals.  So  congenial  to  the  nature  of  man 
are  this  precept,  and  this  promise,  that  on  presenting 
them  in  their  simplicity  to  the  mind,  it  would  seem  as  if 
they  must  meet  the  universal  acquiescence  and  assent 
of  every  intelligent  human  being.  But  before  the  pre- 
cept of  brotherly  love,  as  the  universal  law  of  human 
kind,  carried  out  to  its  logical  conclusions,  empires  and 
kingdoms,  principalities  and  powers,  War  and  Slavery, 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

were  destined  to  fall  prostrate,  to  crumble  into  dust,  and 
to  be  extinguished  on  the  surface  of  the  globe. 

The  first  extensive  operation  of  the  Christian  system 
of  religion  and  morals,  was  to  demolish  the  religion  of 
Rome,  the  mistress  of  the  world,  and  at  the  same  time, 
to  abolish  the  ritual  portion  of  the  Jewish  religion — sys- 
tems of  government  as  well  as  systems  of  religion,  were 
to  be  overthrown,  subdued,  annihilated  by  this  simple 
ray  of  supernatural  light,  and  with  those  systems  were  to 
be  overcome  and  vanquished  all  the  selfish  and  sordid 
passions  of  man's  nature,  and  all  the  aggregations  of 
physical  human  power. 

In  the  progressive  revolutions  effected  by  the  Chris- 
tian system  of  religion  and  morals,  it  was  in  the  order  of 
Providence  that  its  operations  should  be  slow  and  gradual, 
embracing  a  period  of  many  thousand  years. 

Its  first  converts  were  among  the  humble  and  the 
lowly — the  diseased  who  had  no  physician ;  and  the 
vicious  who  had  no  friend.  Its  first  apostles  were  fish- 
ermen, publicans,  and  tent-makers.  The  earthly  con- 
dition of  the  Messiah  was  to  be  the  son  of  a  carpenter, 
and  the  first  of  his  disciples  above  the  rank  of  a  centu- 
rion, is  known  only  as  having  offered  a  sepulchre  for  his 
grave. 

For  the  propagation  of  his  doctrines  he  disclaimed 
once  and  again,  with  undeviating  perseverance  all  re- 
course to  an  arm  of  flesh.  He  declared  that  his  king- 
dom was  not  of  this  world.  He  declared  that  he  came 
not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil.  He  commanded  his  disci- 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

pies  to  render  to  Caesar  the  things  that  were  Caesar's, 
and  he  paid  for  his  own  person  the  tribute  to  Rome. 

Yet  no  sooner  was  his  system  of  morals  disclosed  than 
the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  the  Priests  and  the  Rulers 
of  the  Synagogue,  discovered  in  it  the  inevitable  down- 
fall of  the  Levitical  Law.  They  accordingly  seized, 
condemned,  and  executed  him  as  a  malefactor. 

That  the  religion  of  the  Roman  empire  was  also  to  be 
exterminated  by  this  kingdom  of  Heaven,  the  denomination 
given  by  the  Saviour  to  his  new  system  of  doctrines, 
was  not  so  soon  discovered,  but  could  not  long  be  con- 
cealed. The  ignominious  death  of  the  teacher  was  in 
the  ways  of  Providence,  the  most  effective  means  of 
spreading  abroad  his  faith.  The  apostles,  to  whom  he 
had  left  the  charge  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  all  nations, 
encountered  wherever  they  went,  the  persecution  of  the 
multitude,  and  of  their  rulers,  and  as  the  Baptist's  head 
had  fallen  at  the  mandate  of  a  king  to  satiate  the  ven 
geance  of  a  rebuked  adulteress,  his  accomplice  Stephen 
became  the  victim  of  a  lawless  rabble,  for  proclaiming  to 
them  the  doctrines  of  universal  love  and  eternal  life. 

In  those  doctrines,  however,  there  was  a  principle  of 
vitality,  destined  to  survive  all  persecution,  and  to  tri- 
umph over  all  human  power.     The   moral   precepts  of 
the  Levitical  Law,  purified  and  refined,  shone  with  un 
dying  lustre  in  the  new  dispensation — its  rites  and  cere 
monies,  its  Priests  and  Levites,  its  sacrifices  of  blood,  its 
visions,  and  its  dreams,  gave  way  to  a  simple  and  spi- 
ritual form  of  worship,  the  working  of  miracles,  no  longer 
necessary  for  the  authentication  of  faith,  was  withdrawn 
1* 


-6  INTRODUCTION. 

from  the  disciples  of  the  cross,  and  the  new  system  of 
religion  and  morals  was  left  to  make  its  way  in  the  world 
by  the  perpetual  miracle  of  its  celestial  origin,  self-evi- 
dent by  the  internal  demonstration  of  its  irresistible 
power,  and  its  superhuman  perfection. 

In  the  space  of  three  hundred  years  it  accomplished 
the  annihilation  of  Rome's  three  hundred  thousand  gods. 
The  beautiful  and  stupendous  system  of  the  Heathen  My- 
thology, melted  before  its  effulgence  into  air.  The 
Caesars  of  imperial  Rome  bowed  the  knee  to  the  name 
of  Jesus,  and  Constantine,  the  master  of  the  world,  was 
taught  by  better  proof  than  the  visions  of  the  night,  that 
the  cross  of  Christ  was  the  sign  by  which  he  was  to 
conquer. 

It  was  not  only  over  the  false  gods  of  paganism,  that 
the  religious  and  moral  system  of  Christ  was  to  prevail 
— nor  was  it  only  the  cumbrous  and  sanguinary  ritual  of 
the  Jewish  dispensation  that  it  was  to  supersede.  The 
Christian  system,  meddles  not  directly  with  the  organi- 
zation of  human  government.  It  commands  obedience 
to  the  laws.  It  enjoins  reverence  to  the  powers  that  be 
— but  it  lays  down  first  principles,  before  which,  carried 
to  their  unavoidable  conclusions,  all  oppression,  tyranny 
and  wrong  must  vanish  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

That  all  mankind  are  of  one  blood,  and  that  the  rela- 
tion between  them  is  that  of  brothers.  That  the  rule  of 
social  intercourse  between  them  is  that  each  should  do 
to  all,  as  he  would  that  all  should  do  to  him.  This  is 
Christianity — and  this  is  the  whole  duty  of  man  to  man. 

The  conflict  of  Christianity  is  with  all  the  evil  pas- 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

sions,  aided  by  all  the  physical  and  all  the  intellectual 
powers  of  man.  The  physical  and  intellectual  powers 
are  indeed  instruments  adapted  equally  to  the  u^e  of 
Christianity  and  of  its  adversaries.  It  is  by  the  unalter- 
able and  eternal  truth  of  its  principles,  that  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  must  be  extended 
throughout  the  habitable  earth. 

Its  first  great  victory  was  over  false  religions.  In  the 
progress  of  ages,  its  slow,  gradual,  and  progressive  ad- 
vancement has  been  over  tyrannical  governments.  It 
has  weaned  the  human  mind  from  the  toleration  of  gov- 
ernments founded  only  upon  conquests,  and  acting  only 
by  arbitrary  will  and  physical  force.  It  has  prompted 
the  heart,  and  armed  the  hand  of  the  Christian  man  to 
resist  and  overthrow  them.  It  has  taught  him  that  the 
duty  of  obedience  to  government  is  founded  upon  a  cove- 
nant of  mutual  respect  for  the  unalienable  natural  rights 
of  man  :  and  that  however  this  covenant  may  be  violated 
by  power,  the  rights  can  never  be  extinguished,  and  may 
always  by  power  be  resumed. 

It  is  the  pride  and  glory  of  the  confederated  North 
American  Republic,  that  in  the  instrument  of  their  first 
association  they  solemnly  declared  and  proclaimed  these 
truths,  derived  by  clear  unequivocal  deduction,  from  the 
first  principles  of  the  Christian  faith,  to  be  self-evident — 
and  announced  them  as  the  first  principles  both  of  their 
Union  and  of  their  Independence. 

The  second  great  victory  of  the  Christian  system  of 
morals  was  over  oppressive  governments — and  that  vic- 
tory has  not  yet  been  consummated.  The  absolute  des- 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

potisms  of  artiquity,  under  which  the  lives,  persons,  and 
property  of  the  subject  were  utterly  unprotected  from  the 
will  of  the  despot,  vanished  very  early  by  the  adoption 
of  the  Christian  faith  as  the  religion  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire. But  that  life,  liberty,  and  pursuit  of  happiness 
were  inextinguishable  rights  of  all  mankind,  had  never 
been  proclaimed  as  the  only  rightful  foundation  of  human 
association  and  government,  until  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, laid  it  down,  as  the  corner  stone  of  the 
North  American  Union. 

It  was  a  discovery  in  the  combined  science  of  morals 
and  politics.  It  was  an  electrical  spark  which  passed 
invisibly  through  the  whole  chain  of  the  Christian  na- 
tions, seen  only  at  the  instant  of  its  emission — felt  at 
once,  though  unseen  by  all — and  from  that  day  through- 
out the  whole  circle  of  the  Christian  nations,  a  simulta- 
neous struggle  has  been  in  constant  operation,  though  in 
forms  infinitely  diversified,  to  new  model  their  govern- 
ments and  political  institutions,  to  approximate  the  prac- 
tical realization  of  those  self-evident  elementary  princi- 
ples. 

But  Government,  whether  civil,  ecclesiastical,  or  mili- 
tary, is  not  the  only  nor  the  most  pernicious  agent  of 
tyranny  and  oppression.  The  laws  of  war,  and  the  insti- 
tutions of  domestic  Slavery,  have  been  far  more  effective 
instruments  for  converting  the  bounties  of  the  Creator  to 
the  race  of  man  into  a  curse,  than  all  the  tyrannies  of  em- 
perors and  kings  that  ever  existed  upon  earth.  War  is  a 
perpetual  violation  of  the  right  of  human  beings  to  life, 
liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  Slavery  is  no 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

more  than  the  base-born  progeny  of  war.  The  Chris- 
tian system  of  morals,  as  delivered  by  its  Founder,  pro- 
hibits war  not  in  direct,  but  in  implied,  unqualified  terms. 
This  prohibition  has  not  yet  had  its  full  development, 
among  the  nations  which  profess  the  Christian  faith. 
They  receive  the  law,  and  acknowledge  its  obligations, 
without  yielding  obedience  to  its  precepts.  But  the 
Christian  nations,  in  their  practice  among  themselves, 
have  in  many  important  respects,  mitigated,  and  in 
others,  wholly  abolished  the  most  cruel  usages  and  es- 
tablished laws  of  ancient  war,  among  which  hereditary 
Slavery  was  by  far  the  most  oppressive.  In  the  wars 
of  Christian  nations  between  themselves,  it  has  long 
since  been  totally  abolished.  The  Mahometan  and 
Heathen  nations  still  continue  to  make  slaves  of  their 
prisoners  of  war,  and  Christians,  after  discarding  forever 
the  practice  of  enslaving  one  another,  have  but  recently 
begun  to  reflect  upon  the  necessary  consequence  in  the 
reasoning  of  moral  principle,  that  the  same  precept  which 
forbids  them  from  holding  as  a  slave  their  Christian 
brother,  equally  interdicts  them  from  defiling  themselves 
with  the  pollution  of  Heathen  or  Mahometan  bondage. 

The  first  cries  of  conscience  against  the  engraftment 
of  African  Slavery,  upon  the  Christian  communities  of 
the  European  colonies  in  America,  were  heard  precisely 
at  the  time  when  the  contest  of  liberty  began  between 
Great  Britain  and  her  own  colonists  in  North  America. 
They  were  raised  by  Anthony  Benezet,  a  native  of 
France,  who  had  become  an  inhabitant  of  Pennsylvania. 
From  him  they  passed  to  Granville  Sharpe  in  England. 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

The  labours  of  these  two  humble,  obscure,  powerless 
Christian  philanthropists,  first  awakened  the  civilized 
world  to  the  atrocious  immorality  of  Slavery  and  the 
slave  trade.  Little  less  than  a  century  has  elapsed  since 
this  struggle  of  right  against  oppression  commenced,  and 
it  has  resulted  in  a  conventional  agreement  of  all  the 
Christian  nations,  identifying  the  African  slave  trade 
with  the  crime  of  piracy. 

But  if  the  African  Slavery  be  piracy,  human  reason 
cannot  resist,  nor  can  human  sophistry  refute  the  con- 
clusion, that  the  essence  of  the  crime  consists  not  in  the 
trade,  but  in  the  Slavery.  Trade  has  nothing  in  itself 
criminal  by  the  law  of  nature,  or  that  can  be  made  so  by 
any  law  or  compact  of  nations.  It  is  one  of  the  natural 
rights  flowing  from  the  condition  of  man  ;  from  recipro- 
cal wants  and  reciprocal  good  will.  Trade,  therefore, 
jan  be  made  criminal  only  by  the  nature  of  the  article  in 
tvhich  it  is  carried  on.  It  is  the  Slavery,  and  not  the 
purchase  and  sale,  or  the  transportation  of  the  slave, 
which  constitutes  the  iniquity  of  the  African  slave  trade. 
The  moral  principle  then,  which  dictated  the  interdict  of 
the  African  slave  trade,  pronounced  at  once  the  sentence 
of  condemnation  upon  Slavery. 

Slavery  had  from  an  early  period  been  introduced  into 
the  colonies  of  all  the  European  powers  of  the  western 
hemisphere.  It  existed  in  *all  the  English  colonies, 
though  by  one  of  those  unaccountable  inconsistencies 
which  mark  the  imperfection  of  all  human  institutions, 
the  mother  country  spurned  from  her  own  soil  the 
Slavery  which  she  established  and  supported  in  her 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

colonies.  It  was  even  during  the  progress  of  the  war 
for  American  Independence,  solemnly  settled  by  the  de- 
cision of  England's  highest  judicial  court,  that  the  slave 
of  an  English  West  Indian,  if  brought  by  his  master  to 
England,  no  sooner  set  his  foot  on  English  ground  than 
he  became  a  freeman.  The  same  decision  was  made 
by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts, as  a  necessary  consequence  from  the  principles 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  repeated  in  the 
Declaration  of  Rights  forming  part  of  her  State  Consti- 
tution. 

The  subject  of  the  ensuing  memoir,  the  Rev.  Elijah 
P.  Lovejoy,  was  a  native  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Mas 
sachusetts — born  in  a  state  where  the  abjuration  of  the 
authority  of  Great  Britain,  and  of  the  institution  of 
Slavery,  had  been  universally  held  to  have  been  con- 
summated by  one  and  the  same  act,  he  had  like  all  the 
citizens  of  that  State,  born  since  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, been  bred  and  nurtured  in  the  belief  that 
Slavery  was  an  institution,  politically  incompatible  with 
a  free  Constitution,  and  religiously  incompatible  with  the 
laws  of  God.  Led  by  his  destiny,  iu  the  pursuit  of  hap 
piness,  and  in  the  fulfilment  of  his  religious  and  moral 
duties,  to  the  western  region  of  his  country,  the  funda- 
mental condition  of  whose  political  existence  was  the 
exclusion  of  all  Slavery  and  involuntary  servitude,  he 
there  fell  a  victim  to  the  fury  of  a  band  of  ruffians,  stung 
to  madness,  and  driven  to  despair,  for  the  fate  of  their 
darling  Slavery,  by  the  terrors  of  a  printing  press. 

That  an  American  citizen,  in  a  state  whose  Constitu- 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

tion  repudiates  all  Slavery,  should  die  a  martyr  in  defence 
of  the  freedom  of  the  press,  is  a  phenomenon  in  the  his 
tory  of  this  Union.  It  forms  an  aera,  in  the  progress  of 
mankind  towards  universal  emancipation.  Martyrdom 
was  said  by  Dr,  Johnson  to  be  the  only  test  of  sincerity 
in  religious  belief.  It  is  also  the  ordeal  through  which 
all  great  improvements  in  the  condition  of  men,  are 
doomed  to  pass.  The  incidents  which  preceded  and  ac- 
companied, and  followed  the  catastrophe  of  Mr.  Love- 
joy's  death,  point  it  out  as  an  epocha  in  the  annals  of 
human  liberty.  They  have  given  a  shock  as  of  an 
earthquake  throughout  this  continent,  which  will  be  felt 
in  the  most  distant  regions  of  the  earth.  They  have  in- 
spired an  interest  in  the  public  mind,  which  extends 
already  to  the  life  and  character  of  the  sufferer,  and  which 
it  is  believed  will  abide  while  ages  pass  away.  To  re- 
cord and  preserve  for  posterity  the  most  interesting  oc- 
currences of  his  life  has  been  considered  an  obligation 
of  duty,  specially  incumbent  upon  the  surviving  members 
of  his  family,  and  in  the  effusions  of  his  own  mind,  and 
the  characteristic  features  of  his  familiar  correspondence, 
the  reader  will  find  the  most  effective  portraiture  of  the 
first  American  Martyr  to  THE  FREEDOM  OF  THE  PRESS, 

AND  THE  FREEDOM  OF  THE  SLAVE. 


MEMOIR. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHEN  the  prophet  Elijah  was  taken  up  beyond  the 
gaze  of  his  companions,  it  was  but  natural  that  the  heir 
of  his  mantle  should  cherish  his  memory,  and  record  the 
more  important  incidents  of  his  life.  So  would  we  now 
trace  the  history  of  our  brother  Elijah  Parish  Lovejoy, 
dear  indeed  in  life,  but  more  beloved  in  death. 

In  the  year  1790,  our  grandfather,  Francis  Lovejoy, 
removed  from  Amherst,  N.  H.,  to  the  town  of  Albion, 
Kennebec  County,  Maine.  This  region  was  then  an 
uncultivated,  indeed  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness. 
Only  here  and  there,  at  great  intervals,  could  the  eye 
catch  the  lonely  column  of  smoke  curling  up  through  the 
thick  and  rich  foliage.  With  all  this  extended  forest 
before  him,  in  which  to  choose  a  home,  our  ancestor 
selected  a  beautiful  eastern  slope,  terminating  by  the 
shore  of  a  small  lake,  about  five  miles  in  circumference. 
Around  its  shores  he  set  his  traps,  and  over  its  surface 
dragged  his  lines.  For  these  were  favourite  amusements, 
even  at  that  season  when  desire  fails.  He  died  October 
llth,  1818,  aged  eighty-five. 

In  the  severe  labours  incident  to  an  early  settlement, 
among  the  dense  forests  of  Maine,  our  father,  the  late 
Rev.  Daniel  Lovejoy,  passed  his  early  years.  His  mo- 
ther was  a  truly  devout  woman,  whose  memory  he  ever 
3 


14  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

cherished  with  lively  and  grateful  recollections.  Guided 
solely  by  her  instructions,  and  assisted  by  her  prayers, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  after  a  season  of  deep  mental 
distress,  he  gave  himself  to  the  covenant  God  of  his 
mother.  Two  years  after  this,  relying  upon  his  own  re- 
sources, and  the  never-failing  energy  of  his  character,  he 
left  the  cleared  spot  of  his  father's  farm,  in  order  to  obtain 
an  education  preparatory  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
He  became  a  resident  in  the  family  of  the  late  Rev. 
Elijah  Parish,  of  Byfield,  Mass.  In  the  academy  at  that 
place  he  received  a  respectable  education,  and  in  the 
person  of  his  benefactor,  acquired  a  warm  friend,  faithful 
unto  death. 

He  commenced  the  work  of  the  ministry  in  1805,  and 
continued  to  labour  in  this,  to  him,  delightful  employment, 
with  zeal  and  general  acceptance  until  his  death,  August 
llth,  1833,  aged  fifty-eight.  His  character  is  briefly, 
but  correctly  given  in  the  following  extract  from  a  ser- 
mon preached  at  his  funeral  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Adams, 
of  Waterville,  Maine. 

"  It  will  be  interesting  to  dwell  for  a  moment  on  the 
character  of  our  departed  friend,  though  this  can  hardly 
be  necessary,  speaking  as  I  do  to  those  who  knew  him 
well.  I  regret  that  my  memory  has  not  more  faithfully 
retained  the  circumstances  I  have  heard  him  relate,  con- 
cerning his  early  religious  history.  The  impression  of 
deep  interest  it  excited  remains,  though  the  detail  has 
escaped  me.  He  was  not  brought  into  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  borne,  as  it  were,  on  the  tide  of  excitement,  but 
it  was  when  all  was  dark  and  cold  around  him,  when 
professing  Christians  of  any  denomination  were  exceed- 
ingly rare,  when  there  was  almost  every  influence,  but 
that  of  the  word  and  the  spirit  of  God  to  oppose,  it  was 
in  circumstances  like  these,  that  he  came  forth,  and  took, 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  15 

it  may  almost  be  said,  a  solitary  stand  as  a  disciple  of 
Christ,  and,  as  is  generally  the  case,  with  those  who,  in 
such  circumstances,  espouse  the  cause  of  Christ,  he 
firmly  maintained  his  stand.  To  this,  I  cannot  doubt, 
you  will  all  bear  witness.  Whatever  imperfections  you 
may  have  discovered  in  his  character,  and  there  are  none 
without  imperfections, — you  never,  I  will  venture  to  say, 
you  never  suspected  that  he  was  ashamed  of  Christ,  or  that 
he  was  unwilling,  in  any  circumstances  or  in  any  society, 
to  be  known  as  a  follower  of  Jesus.  Never  was  he 
moved  either  by  the  sneers  or  frowns  of  an  unbelieving 
world.  His  principles  he  was  ever  ready  to  avow  with- 
out palliation  or  concealment.  As  he  was  ardent  and 
decided  in  his  feelings,  he  did  not  always,  perhaps,  exert 
that  conciliating  influence  which  one  of  a  different  tem- 
perament would  have  done.  Peter  had  not  all  the  soft- 
ness and  tenderness  of  John,  but  he  was,  nevertheless,  a 
disciple,  and  perhaps  the  peculiar  energy  of  his  character, 
might  render  him  the  more  extensively  useful.  As  a 
minister  of  Christ  he  was  highly  valued.  The  native 
vigour  of  his  mind,  and  the  ardor  of  his  feelings,  over- 
came, in  a  great  degree,  the  want  of  that  early  culture, 
which  he  ever  considered  important  and  desirable,  as  a 
preparation  for  the  sacred  office,  and  threw  entirely  into 
the  shade  those  minor  deficiences  which  the  more  critical 
hearer  might,  perhaps,  generally  discover.  The  character 
of  his  devotional  services  showed  that  he  had  much  inter- 
course with  heaven.  His  mind  was  evidently  habitually 
imbued  with  the  spiritof  devotion.  As  he  was  subject  to  an 
unnatural  elevation  and  depression  of  spirits,  this  would 
of  course  occasion  an  inequality  in  the  character  of  his 
public  performances ;  but  they  were  generally  such  as 
those  of  cultivated  minds,  would  listen  to  with  interest 
and  profit,  and  he  often  rose  to  a  high  degree  of  excel- 


16  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

lence.  To  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  he  has  ever  been 
an  interesting,  as  well  as  highly  valued  and  profitable 
associate.  His  labours  as  a  minister  have  been  much 
with  our  feeble  and  destitute  churches,  and  to  them  his 
services  have  been  uniformly  and  highly  acceptable. 
To  the  people  of  God  throughout  our  land,  he  has  ever 
been  a  welcome  guest,  and  the  number  is  great  of  those 
to  whom  his  memory  will  be  precious." 

Our  mother,  who  survives  the  tragical  death  of  her 
son,  was  born  at  Winslow,  Maine,  February  1772. 
Her  father,  the  late  Ebenezer  Pattee,  Esq.  of  Unity,  and 
her  mother,  Mary  Stinson,  were  both  from  Georgetown, 
Maine.  Their  ancestors  originated  in  Scotland.  And 
here  we  cannot  forbear  to  give  this  public  testimony  to 
the  faithful  instruction,  and  pious  example  of  both  our 
beloved  and  honoured  parents.  They  not  only  dedicated 
their  children  to  God,  but  with  great  diligence  laboured 
to  train  them  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  And  if  any  of 
them  have  done,  or  shall  do  any  thing  worthy  and  good, 
it  is  but  the  reflection  of  that  excellence  which  always 
shone  bright  before  them,  in  the  example  of  their  parents 


CHAPTER  II. 

OUR  eldest  brother,  Elijah  Parish  Lovejoy,  was  born  at 
Albion,  November  9th,  1802,  just  thirty-five  years  previ- 
ous to  the  day  of  his  burial.  Three  brothers  preceded  him 
to  the  grave  ;  three  yet  live  and  two  sisters.  In  childhood 
and  youth  he  manifested  the  elements  of  character, 
which  were  fully  developed  in  the  trials  of  his  last 
years.  He  was  courageous,  firm,  and  persevering. 

When  he  had  once  taken  a  stand,  he  was  sure  to 
maintain  it  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  Less  than  four 
years  were  numbered,  when  he  began  to  exhibit  his 
ruling  passion, — an  ardent  desire  for  knowledge.  At 
this  age  he  read  with  fluency  «  his  Bible.  His  letters 
were  all  learned,  by  his  own  solicitation,  from  his  mo* 
ther.  He  would  tfl^  his  book,  go  to  her,  and  ask  the 
name  of  a  letter  and  then  retire  to  his  seat,  until  he  had 
marked  its  »"orm,  and  indelibly  fixed  it  in  his  memory ; 
and  th^fl  again  to  his  mother  for  the  name  of  a  new  let 
ter.  In  the  same  way,  he  not  only  learned  to  read,  but 
acquired  much,  and  varied  knowledge.  Throughout  his 
youth,  the  ends  of  the  day  saved  from  the  axe,  the 
plough,  and  the  scythe,  were  all  employed  in  the  dili- 
gent use  of  books.  When  the  small  theological  library 
of  his  father  was  exhausted,  he  had  recourse  to  a  public 
one,  of  a  more  varied  character,  in  the  vicinity.  The 
stores  of  this  also  by  weekly  visits,  were  very  soon 
transferred  to  his  own  mind.  His  memory  was  uncom- 
monly retentive.  While  at  the  sabbath  school,  hia 
teacher  one  day  remarked  to  the  class,  that  they  might 
2" 


18  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

increase  their  lessons  for  the  next  Sabbath.  In  the 
leisure  hours  of  the  following  week,  he  committed  the 
119th  Psalm,  and  some  twenty  or  more  hymns  to  go 
with  it.  Poetry  he  drank  in  like  water.  By  reading 
any  piece  of  one  or  two  pages  twice,  he  could  accurately 
rehearse  it.  The  writer  has  heafd  him  repeat  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  Hymns  from  Watts  at  a  single  recitation. 
In  all  the  exercises  of  the  district  school  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  he  evinced  decided  superiority.  One  of 
his  mates  lately  remarked,  that  it  was  impossible  to  do 
more  than  gain  a  place  next  the  head,  for  he  that  was 
there  could  not  only  spell  the  words,  but  also  pronounce 
them  in  their  order  without  the  book.  When  the  school 
was  divided  by  what  is  called  "  choosing  sides,"  his 
name  was  always  first  heard. 

Nor  was  he  first  in  the  school-room  only.  He  en- 
gaged with  great  &est  in  all  the  sports  of  his  early  com- 
panions. Swimming  -was,  our  weekly,  and  almost  daily 
amusement.  A  very  considerable  portion  of  the  bottom 
of  the  lake,  we  have  before  memvQned  was  visited,  in  a 
competition  to  see  who  should  dive  tht,  greatest  number 
of  feet.  Mud  or  clams  was  the  only  evider^..e  admitted 
as  proof  that  the  effort  had  been  successful.  A  A°pth  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  was  often  reached  in  this  danger- 
ous, exhilarating  sport.  Elijah  being  once  bantered 
by  his  companions,  swam  the  whole  width  of  the  lake, 
three  fourths  of  a  mile,  and  back  again  without  stopping. 

Under  the  forming  hand  of  his  assiduous  mother,  with 
a  few  months  in  each  year  at  the  district  school,  the  first 
eighteen  years  of  his  life  were  passed.  At  this  time  he 
set  his  heart  strongly  upon  obtaining  a  public  education. 
He  spent  a  single  quarter  in  the  Academy  at  Monmouth  ; 
during  which  he  read  thoroughly  Virgil  entire,  Cicero, 
and  Sallust.  He  had  studied  Latin  but  two  or  three 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  19 

areeks  previous  to  this.  His  preparatory  studies  were 
continued  at  intervals  in  China  Academy ;  and  he  entered 
a  sophomore,  in  Waterville  College,  September,  1823.  He 
was  assisted  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  his  education  by 
one  whose  gifts  are  in  every  department  of  benevolence, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Tappan  of  Augusta.  The  writer  pursued  his 
studies  preparatory  to  entering  college  with  his  elder 
brother  ;  and  he  can  truly  say,  he  has  not  since  met 
with  a  scholar,  to  whom  the  ancient  authors  appeared  so 
nearly  vernacular. 

Occasionally  he  employed  a  leisure  hour  in  the  writing 
of  poetry.  One  specimen  is  given,  written  previous  to 
his  entering  college.  With  the  allowance  for  youth,  and 
limited  advantages,  which  the  indulgent  will  make,  it 
may  be  read  with  some  interest.  The  Poem  is  entitled 
"  Europe."  Having  painted  some  of  the  revolutions  ol 
that  continent,  he  now  speaks  of  one  to  come  still  more 
overwhelming  : 


"  BUT  Europe's  fields  were  drunk  with  blood, 

Drawn  from  the  martyrs  of  their  God  ; 

The  sword  of  vengeance  long  had  slept, — 

But  justice  still  its  vigils  kept : 

Heaven  guarded  with  a  jealous  eye, 

The  day  of  retribution  nigh. 

'Twas  come  !  then  fell  the  awful  blow, 

And  Europe  drank  the  cup  of  wo, 

Till  Heaven,  appeased,  withdrew  its  hand, 

And  mercy  saved  the  sinking  land. 

Back  to  a  state  of  bondage  turned, 

Yet  Freedom  in  their  bosoms  burned  ; 

And  still  they  wish,  in  slavery  bound, 

The  prize  oft  sought  but  never  found. 

An  awful  calm  has  filled  their  sky  ; 

Presage  of  some  convulsion  nigh : 


20  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Like  the  low  vapours  deep,  and  still, 

That  hang  around  the  sunny  hill, — 

Ere  some  dread  tumult  shake  the  skies 

And  all  the  heavens  in  anger  rise. 

The  wild,  dark  murmurings  of  despair 

Are  kindling  into  madness  there  ; 

Tyrants  combined  must  try  in  vain, 

Its  bursting  fury  to  restrain  ; 

The  spark  of  Freedom,  Nature  gives, 

Oppressive  bondage  but  revives. 

Taught  by  the  errors  of  the  past, 

Their  arms  shall  meet  success  at  last. 

Ah,  who  can  view  the  fearful  sight, 

When  Europe  rises  in  its  might ! 

In  frenzied  madness  flies  to  arms, 

And  sounds  aloud  death's  deep  alarms  1 

O  the  dread  scene  that  meets  the  eye, 

As  wistful  fancy  passes  by, 

Where  the  vast  plain  its  surface  wends, 

Far  as  the  level  sight  extends ! 

Whole  nations  in  collected  might, 

Fierce  for  the  onset  join   the  fight, 

With  beaming  helmets  nodding  high, 

And  broad  swords  flashing  to  the  sky, 

With  vengeful  hearts,  that  scorn  to  yield, 

They  stain  with  blood  the  verdant  field. 

In  battle's  fiercest,  wild  array, 

Rise  the  dread  tumults  of  that  day, 

Fresh  slaughter  bathes  th'  ensanguined  ground, 

Heaps  fall  on  heaps  and  groans  resound  ; 

Fell  Fury  wantons  o'er  the  plain  ! 

Death  riots  on  its  thousands  slain  ! 

Nature  alarmed,  her  voice  awakes, 

Earth  to  her  inmost  centre  shakes, 

Terror  aloft  its  banners  spreads, 

Death's  angel  hovers  o'er  their  heads  ! 

From  Etna  livid  flashes  fly, 

And  gleam  along  the  blackened  sky, 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  21 

Heaven  from  on  high  its  fury  pours, 

And  ocean  beats  its  sounding  shores  ;— 

Hell's  blackest  furies  urge  the  fight, 

Despair,  wild  rage,  and  dread  affright ; 

Discord,  the  worst  of  all  the  train, 

Swells  the  red  horrors  of  the  plain ! 

Fierce  and  more  fierce  the  combat  grows, 

And  loud  resound  the  hostile  blows  ; 

Like  lions  rushing  for  the  prey, 

Thro'  heaps  of  slain  they  urge  their  way, 

Promiscuous  mighty  chiefs  are  killed, 

Rage,  death,  and  carnage  load  the  field ! 

Oh !  tell  not  half  the  horrid  tale, 

'Twould  make  the  firmest  spirit  quail. 

Nations  inhumed,  unhonoured  lie, 

And  dim  the  warrior's  flashing  eye  ! 

Lo  !  hovering  clouds  obscure  the  sight, 

And  hide  the  scene  in  sable  night. 

Turn  where  the  pleasing  theme  would  lead, 

Where  Freedom  claims  lier  dear  bought  meed 

Fell  tyrants  from  their  thrones  are  hurled, 

Justice  shall  renovate  the  world  ! 

Its  even  balance  hold  secure, 

And  anarchy  shall  rule  no  more  : 

No  more  Oppression's  cruel  hand 

Spread  devastation  o'er  the  land  ; 

No  more  beneath  a  tyrant's  frown 

Virtue  shall  cast  her  honours  down, 

But  white  rob'd  peace  her  arms  extend, 

And  millions  in  her  temple  bend ; 

From  orient  beams  to  western  skies, 

Sweet  incense  from  her  shrine  arise. 

O'er  Nature's  face  new  beauties  spread, 

And  skies  their  softest  influence  shed ; 

No  blasting  star's  malignant  breath, 

Shall  scatter  wide  contagious  death ; 

The  scorching  sun  its  beams  restrain, 

Nor  billows  toss  the  unruffled  main. 


22  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Light  playful  zephyrs  fan  the  trees, 
Sweet  odours  rise  on  every  breeze, 
Heaven  with  its  gifts  descend  to  men, 
And  Eden  bloom  on  earth  again." 

The  following,  written  while  in  college,  unless  we  are 
very  partial  judges,  contains  poetic  merit. 

THE  LITTLE  STAB. 

"  I  would  I  were  on  yonder  little  star, 
That  looks  so  modest  in  the  silver  sky, 
Removed  in  boundless  space  so  very  far, 
That  scarce  its  rays  can  meet  the  gazer's  eye, 
Yet  there  it  hangs  all  lonely  bright  and  high. 

O  could  I  mount  where  fancy  leads  the  way, 
How  soon  would  I  look  down  upon  the  sun, 
Rest  my  tired  whig  upon  his  upward  ray, 
And  go  where  never  yet  his  beams  have  shone, 
Light  on  that  little  star  and  make  it  all  my  own. 

I'm  tired  of  earth,  'tis  nought  but  care  and  pain, 

Where  misery  riots  on  its  helpless  prey ; 

Small  joy,  at  least  that  I  can  find,  therein, 

But  constant  grief  and  gloom — without  a  single  ray, 

That  points  the  wearied  soul  to  a  more  genial  day. 

There  is  no  faith  on  earth,  and  truth  has  fled, 
Man's  heart  is  steel,  unmoved  at  pity's  tear, 
And  justice  has  on  her  own  altar  bled — 
Love  dwells  not  with  us,  in  some  happier  sphere, 
It  makes  its  angel  heaven  to  innocence  so  dear. 

Oh  !  there  are  moments  when  the  trembling  soul 
Feels  its  own  ruins,  scathed,  and  scarred,  and  torn, 
And  gazes  wildly  as  the  tempests  howl — 
Thus  hare  I  felt — Oh  God  !  why  was  I  born, 
A  wretch  all  friendless,  hopeless,  and  forlorn. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  23 

And  yet  I  am,  there  is  a  spark  within, 

Time  cannot  quench,  nor  yet  eternity ; 

A  boundless,  countless  space  to  kindle  in, — 

An  emanation  from  the  Deity, — 

And  while  He  shines  it  cannot  cease  to  be. 

But  how  or  where — 'tis  doubt  and  darkness  all, 

Or  oft  times  seems  so,  yet  full  well  I  know, 

There  is  beyond  this  sublunary  ball, 

A  land  of  souls,  a  heaven  of  peace  and  joy, 

Whose  skies  are  always  bright,  whose  pleasures  never  cloy 

And  if  to  souls  released  from  earth  'tis  given, 
To  choose  their  home  thro'  bright  infinity, 
Then  yonder  star  shall  be  my  happy  heaven, 
And  I  will  live  unknown,  for  I  would  be 
The  lonely  hermit  of  Eternity." 

He  graduated,  receiving  the  first  honours  of  his  class, 
in  September,  1826.  On  that  occasion  he  pronounced  a 
poem,  entitled  the  "  Inspirations  of  the  Muse." 

"  Who  has  not  felt,  when  life's  dull  stream  was  low, 

When  hope  had  fled,  and  pleasure  waned  to  wo ; 

When  all  within  was  dreary,  dark,  and  wild — 

On  feeling's  ruins  sat  despair,  and  smiled — 

And  like  the  shadows  by  the  moonbeams  thrown 

On  chilly  waters,  faint  and  cold  it  shone ; 

Who  has  not  felt  the  melting  charm  that  stole 

Like  healing  virtue  o'er  the  stricken  soul, 

When  some  fair  hand  the  trembling  lyre  had  swept, 

And  waked  the  Muse,  that  lingered  there  and  slept ; 

Her  magic  charms,  her  tones  so  sweetly  given, 

They  tell  like  dreams  which  Gabriel  brings  from  heaven, 

And,  on  the  cold,  cold  regions  of  the  breast, 

Come  warm  with  life  in  visions  of  the  blest. 

The  frozen  heart  which  never  felt  before, 

Dissolves  in  grief  and  smiles  its  mis'ry  o'er, 


24  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

And  as  it  weeps  the  obscuring  clouds  away, 
Hope  gilds  the  tears  with  sunshine's  softest  ray ; 
Peace  o'er  the  tempest  throws  its  rainbow  charms, 
Sure  pledge  of  joy,  yet  timid  from  alarms : 
The  enchanting  prospect  opens  wide  and  clear, 
When  Beauty  blushes  where  the  loves  appear ! 

O  who  that  has  not  proudly  counted  o'er 
Such  hours  enshrined  in  Mem'ry's  choicest  store, 
When,  as  the  dream  of  life  was  flitting  by, 
They  flashed  in  brightness  on  the  suff  'rer's  eye  ; 
And  left  their  marks  transcribed  upon  his  soul, 
UnsuDied  pages  in  life's  gloomy  scroll : 
Gently  they  spoke  in  silver  notes  of  bliss, 
As  if  heav'n  stooped  to  whisper  words  of  peace. 

So  can  the  Muse  enchant  the  yielding  heart, 
New  hopes,  new  pleasures,  and  new  joys  impart ; 
When  meek  and  mild,  she  comes  in  tenderness, 
To  sooth  our  sorrows,  and  our  comforts  bless, 
And  smiles  as  love  smiles  o'er  the  bed  of  death, 
Or  bends  like  hope  to  catch  the  parting  breath  ; 
But  if,  with  all  her  gorgeous  drap'ry  on, 
She  strikes  the  note  that  glory  rides  upon — 
With  hues  of  grandeur  deep  around  her  thrown, 
And  stately  mien  that  Virtue's  self  might  own — 
'Tis  then  she  kindles  in  th'  expanding  soul 
Desires  immortal,  thoughts  above  control. 
She  chants  her  deathsong  o'er  the  hero's  grave, 
Each  arm  is  mighty  and  each  coward  brave ; 
And  when  the  untamed  victor  of  the  fight, 
Prepared  to  use  the  vengeance  of  his  might, 
Witness,  Euripides,  and  Homer,  thou, 
How  oft  her  strains  have  smoothed  the  angry  brow; 
Loosed  from  his  hands  the  pris'ner's  slavish  chain, 
And  bade  the  captive  be  a  man  again. 
She  strikes  the  chords  that  round  her  heart  entwine, 
And  warm  responses  breath  on  ev'ry  line. 


UEV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  25 

The  mind,  awakened  by  the  burning  strain, 

Starts  in  a  flight  which  seraph  scarce  can  gain  : 

Bursts  from  its  mortal  shroud  and  eoars  away, 

And  basks  and  revels  in  unclouded  day ; 

Leaves  earth's  dull  scenes  with  all  its  cares  and  woes, 

Mounts  into  light,  and  kindles  as  it  goes ! 

Oh  !  there  are  moments  when  the  winged  mind, 
Free  and  unshackled  as  the  viewless  wind, 
In  full  poetic  pride  goes  gloriously 
With  cherubim  in  concert  up  the  sky  ; 
Counts  ev'ry  planet  as  it  rolls  away 
In  bold  relief  into  eternity  ! 
Joins  the  full  choir  which  sings  along  the  spheres, 
Among  the  star-crowned  circles  of  the  years  ! 
In  strains  that  e'en  the  Eternal  stoops  and  hears ! 
Or  vent'rous  soars  above  the  thrice-arched  sky, 
And  bends  exulting  through  infinity. 
In  that  vast  space  where  unknown  sunbeams  sleep, 
Or  hidden  stars  their  glorious  night-watch  keep ; 
Whose  light  still  traveling  since  time  first  began, 
Through  the  immense,  has  never  shone  on  man  — 
In  those  far  regions,  where  no  baleful  beam 
Shoots  on  tne  soul  its  dark  and  vap'ry  gleam ; 
Where  sinless  angels  play  along  the  air, 
And  hymn  their  loves,  or  bend  in  holy  pray'r ; 
Here  can  the  mind  expatiate  unrestrained 
O'er  beauties  such  as  fancy  never  feigned  ; 
Or  higher  still,  bow  at  th'  Eternal  shrine, 
Where  seraphim  with  veiled  faces  shine ! 
Nay  lift  the  curtain  from  before  the  throne, 
And  gaze  with  wondering  awe  upon  the  Great  Unknown  ! 
So  once  in  Eden's  ground,  that  blissful  scene, 
Where  fear  was  not,  for  guilt  had  not  yet  been, 
Man  sought  the  temple  where  his  Maker  trod, 
And  fearless  held  communion  with  his  God. 
Surely,  if  heav'nly  wisdom  e'er  designed 
One  peerless  gift  in  mercy  to  mankind, 
3 


26  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

One  noble  proof  in  the  creative  plan, 

Which  stamps  his  high  original  on  man  ; 

'Tie  that  poetic  fire  which  bids  him  rise, 

And  claim  his  home,  his  kindred  in  the  skies ; 

Which  rides  in  safety  o'er  life's  troublous  storms, 

And  smiles  on  death  in  all  its  untried  forms. 

'Tis  a  mysterious  ardour  none  can  tell, 

And  which  but  few  of  favoured  mortals  feel ; 

An  enamation  from  the  Deity, 

That  claims  and  proves  its  immortality  ; 

A  part  of  being  subtle  and  refined, 

The  pure  and  nallowed  element  of  mind  ; 

A  flame  which  burns  amidst  the  darkest  gloom, 

Shines  round  the  grave,  and  kindles  in  the  tomb. 

When  fainting  nature  trembles  on  her  throne, 

And  the  last  spirit  to  the  heav'ns  has  flown ; 

In  that  dread  hour,  when  hushed  in  deep  repose, 

The  prelude  of  creation's  dying  throes — 

The  dead  lie  slumb'ring  shrouded  in  their  pall, 

And  wait  unconscious  for  the  angel's  call ; 

'Tis  this  shall  sound  the  vivifying  strain, 

And  wake  mortality  to  life  again  ; 

Shall  snatch  her  harp,  when  circling  flames  arise, 

And  soar  and  sing  eternal  in  the  skies  !" 


CHAPTER  III. 

FOR  several  months  after  leaving  college,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  an  academy.  In  May,  1827,  he  left 
his  friends  and  native  state,  with  his  eye  fixed  upon  the 
inviting  and  youthful  West.  Its  valleys  and  rivers  are 
not  graduated  upon  a  broader  so  ile,  than  were  his  ambi- 
tion and  his  hopes  at  this  period.  Yet  it  was  with  great 
reluctance  that  he  left  the  social  c  rcle,  of  which  he  was 
often  the  enchanting  spirit,  to  maie  his  home  among 
strangers.  On  his  departure,  he  addressed  his  native 
land  in  the  following  lines. 

THE  FAREWELL. 

"Land  of  my  birth  !  my  natal  soil  farewell : 

The  winds  and  waves  are  bearing  me  away 

Fast  from  thy  shores  ;  and  I  would  offer  thee 

This  sincere  tribute  of  a  swelling  heart. 

I  love  thee :  witness  that  I  'do,  my  tears, 

Which  gushingly  do  flow,  and  will  not  be  restrained 

At  thought  of  seeing  thee,  perchance  no  more. 

Yes,  I  do  love  thee  ;  though  thy  hills  are  bleak, 

And  piercing  cold  thy  winds  ;  though  winter  blasts 

Howl  long  and  dreary  o'er  thee  ;  and  thy  skies 

Frown  oftener  than  they  smile  ;  though  thine  is  not 

The  rich  profusion  that  adorns  the  year  in  sunnier  climes  ; 

Though  spicy  gales  blow  not  in  incense  from  thy  groves : 

For  thou  hast  that,  far  more  than  worth  them  all. 

Health  sits  upon  thy  rugged  hills,  and  blooms  in  all  thy  vales ; 

Thy  laws  are  just,  or  if  they  ever  lean, 

'Tis  to  sweet  mercy's  side  at  pity's  call. 

Thy  sons  are  noble,  in  whose  veins  there  runs 


28  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

A  richer  tide  than  Europe's  kings  can  boast, 

The  blood  of  freemen  :  BLOOD  WHICH  OFT  HAS  FLOWED 

IN  FREEDOM'S  HOLIEST  CAUSE  ;  AND  READY  YET  TO  FLOW, 

IF  NEED  SHOULD  BE  ;    ERE  IT  WOULD  CURDLE  DOWN 
TO  THE  SLOW  SLUGGISH  STREAM  OF  SLAVERY. 

Thy  daughters  too  are  fair,  and  beauty's  mien 

Looks  still  the  lovelier,  graced  with  purity. 

For  these  I  love  thee  ;  and  if  these  were  all, 

Good  reason  were  there,  that  thou  shouldst.  be  loved. 

But  other  ties,  and  dearer  far  than  all, 

Bind  fast  my  heart  to  thee. 

Who  can  forget  the  scenes,  m  which  the  doubtful  ray 

Of  reason,  first  dawned  o'c:  him?     Can  memory  e'er 

Forsake  the  home  where    riends,' where  parents  dwell? 

Close  by  the  mansion  wl",-re  I  first  drew  breath, 

There  stands  a  tree,  .beueath  whose  branching  shade 

I've  sported  oft  in  childhood's  sunny  hours  ; — 

A  lofty  elm ; — I've  carved  my  name  thereon  ; 

There  let  it  grow,  a  still  increasing  proof, 

That  time  cannot  efface,  nor  distance  dim 

The  recollection  of  those  halcyon  days. 

My  father  too ;  I've  grieved  his  manly  heart, 

Full  many  a  time,  by  heedless  waywardness  ; 

While  he  was  labouring  with  a  parent's  care, 

To  feed  and  clothe  his  thoughtless,  thankless  boy. 

And  I  have  trembled  as  with  frown  severe 

He  oft  has  checked  me,  when  perhaps  I  meant 

To  do  him  pleasure,  with  my  childish  mirth  ; 

And  thought  how  strange  it  was,  he  would  not  smiJe. 

But  Oh  !  my  mother  '.  she  whose  every  look 

Was  love  and  tenderness,  that  knew  no  check  ; 

Who  joyed  with  me  ;  whose  fond  maternal  eye 

Grew  dim,  when  pain  or  sorrow  faded  mine. 

My  mother  !  thou  art  thinking  now  of  me, 

And  tears  are  thine  that  I  have  left  thee  so : 

Oh  do  not  grieve,  for  God  will  hear  those  prayers, 

Which,  constantly,  are  going  up  to  heaven, 

For  blessings  on  thy  lone,  and  wandering  son. 


REV.  fi.  P.  LOVEJOY.  29 

But  time  is  speeding ;  and  the  billowy  waves 
Are  hurrying  me  away.     Thy  misty  shores 
Grow  dim  in  distance  ;  while  yon  setting  sun 
Seems  lingering  fondly  on  them,  as  'twould  take 
Like  me,  a  last  adieu.     I  go  to  tread 
The  western  vales,  whose  gloomy  cypress  tree 
Shall  haply  soon  be  wreathed  upon  my  bier : 
Land  of  my  birth !  my  natal  soil,  FAREWELL." 

The  "  Wanderer"  was  written  while  on  his  way  to 
the  West,  after  a  season  of  sickness,  followed  as  it  will 
show  by  mental  depression. 


(Written  on  the  shore  of  lake  Erie.) 

"  Cum  volet  ilia  dies,  quse  nil  nisi  corporis  hujus 
Jus  habit,  incerti  spatium  mihi  finiat  sevi : 
Farte  tamen  nieliore  mei  super  alta  perennis 
Astra  ferar."  Ovid. 

"  The  sun  was  set,  and  that  dim  twilight  hour, 
Which  shrouds  in  gloom  whate'er  it  looks  upon, 

Was  o'er  the  world  :  stern  desolation  lay 
In  her  own  ruins  :  every  mark  was  gone, 

Save  one  tall,  beetling  monumental  stone. 

Amid  a  sandy  waste  it  reared  its  head, 

All  scathed  and  blackened  by  the  lightning  shock, 
That  many  a  scar  and  many  a  seam  had  made, 

E'en  to  its  base  ;  and  there  with  thundering  stroke, 
Erie's  wild  waves  in  ceaseless  clamours  broke. 

And  on  its  rifted  top  the  wanderer  stood, 

And  bared  his  head  beneath  the  cold  night  air, 

And  wistfully  he  gazed  upon  the  flood  : 

It  were  a  boon  to  him  (so  thought  he  there) 

Beneath  that  tide  to  rest  from  every  care. 
3* 


0  MKMOIit  OF  THE 

And  might  it  be,  and  not  his  own  rash  hand 

Ha.ve  done  the  deed,  (for  yet  he  dared  not  brave, 

All  reckless  as  he  was,  the  high  command, 
Do  thou  thyself  no  harm,)  adown  the  wave 

And  in  the  tall  Jake-grass  that  night  had  been  his  grave. 

Oh  !  you  may  tell  of  that  philosophy, 

Which  steels  the  heart  'gainst  every  bitter  wo  : 

'Tis  not  in  nature,  and  it  cannot  be  ; 

You  cannot  rend  young  hearts,  and  not  a  throe 

Of  agony  tell  how  they  feel  the  blow. 

He  was  a  lone  and  solitary  one, 

With  none  to  love,  and  pity  he  disdained  : 

His  hopes  were  wrecked,  and  all  his  joys  were  gone ; 
But  his  dark  eye  blanched  not ;  his  pride  remained  : 

And  if  he  deeply  felt,  to  none  had  he  complained. 

Of  all  that  knew  him  faw  but  judged  him  wrong  : 

He  was  of  silent  and  unsocial  mood : 
Unloving  and  unloved  he  passed  along  : 

His  chosen  path  with  steadfast  aim  he  trod, 
Nor  asked  nor  wished  applause,  save  only  of  his  God. 

Oh !  how  preposterous  'tis  for  man  to  claim 
In  his  own  strength  to  chain  the  human  soul ! 

Go,  first,  and  learn  the  elements  to  tame, 
Ere  you  would  exercise  your  vain  control 

O'er  that  which  pants  and  strives  for  an  immortal  goal. 

Yet  oft  a  young  and  generous  heart  has  been 

By  cruel  keepers  trampled  on  and  torn  ; 
And  all  the  worst  and  wildest  passions  in 

The  human  breast  have  roused  themselves  in  scorn, 
That  else  had  dormant  slept,  or  never  had  been  born. 

Take  heed  ye  guardians  of  the  youthful  mind, 
That  facile  grows  beneath  your  kindly  care  : 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOV.  31 

'Tis  of  elastic  mould,  and,  if  confined 

With  too  much  stress,  4  shoots  madly  from  its  sphere,' 
Unswayed  by  love,  and  unrestrained  by  fear. 

Oh  !  'tis  a  fearful  blasting  sight  to  see 
The  soul  in  ruins,  withered,  rived,  and  wrung, 

And  doomed  to  spend  its  immortality 

Darkling  and  hopeless,  where  despair  has  flung 

Her  curtains  o'er  the  loves  to  which  it  fondly  clung. 

So  thought  the  wanderer:  so,  perhaps,  he  fell : 
(But  this  is  unrevealed)  :  now  had  he  come 

To  the  far  woods,  and  there  in  silence  knelt 
On  the  sharp  flint-stone  in  the  rayless  gloom, 

And  fervently  he  prayed  to  find  an  early  tomb. 

Weep  not  for  him  :  he  asks  no  sympathy 
From  human  hearts  or  eyes  ;  aloof,  alone, 

On  his  own  spirit  let  him  rest,  and  be 
By  all  his  kind  forgotten  and  unknown, 

And  wild  winds  mingle  with  his  dying  groan. 

And  in  the  desert  let  him  lie  and  sleep, 
In  that  sweet  rest  exhausted  nature  gave  : 

Oh !  make  his  clay-cold  mansion  dark  and  deep, 
While  the  tall  trees  their  sombre  foliage  wave, 

And  drop  it  blighted  on  the  wanderer's  grave." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IN  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1827,  our  brother  arrived 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He  immediately  engaged  in  teach- 
ing a  school.  His  prospects  and  feelings  at  this  period 
are  given  in  a  letter  to  his  parents. 

Saint  Louis,  February  18th,  1827. 
DEAR  PARENTS : 

Your  letter  of  the  27th  December,  has  just 
been  received,  and  with  it  the  most  welcome  intelligence 
that  the  family  are  all  well.  I  cannot  say  that  I  am 
home-sick,  but  certainly  there  is  no  idea  on  which  I  so 
love  to  dwell  as  home,  and  the  honoured  parents  and  the 
beloved  brothers  and  sisters,  whom  I  have  left  there. 
Fortune  has,  in  the  main,  hitherto  looked  unfavourably 
upon  me,  since  I  left  home ;  but,  I  begin  to  hope  for  better 
things.  Still,  in  all  my  past  distresses  one  thought  has 
consoled  me, — I  have  learned  to  appreciate  a  parent's  love. 

I  am  now  in  St.  Louis,  engaged  in  teaching  a  school ; 
and  the  prospect  is,  that  I  shall  have  a  very  profitable 
one.  I  may  be  disappointed,  and  I  do  not  suffer  myself 
to  be  too  sanguine  of  the  future  ;  for  the  lessons  of  the 
year  past  have  taught  me  to  distrust  dame  fortune,  even 
when  she  smiles  the  sweetest.  I  wish  I  could  say,  I 
had  learned  to  contemn  alike  her  favours  and  her  frowns. 

I  have  entirely  recovered  my  health,  it  was  never  bet- 
ter than  at  present ;  but  I  look  upon  its  continuance  in 
this  climate  as  doubtful.  My  appetite,  after  recovering 
from  the  ague,  was  such  as  I  never  had  before,  and  in  a 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  33 

few  weeks  my  weight  rose  to  180  Ibs.  ;  being  at  least  as 
much  as  I  could  ever  claim.  I  find  here  many  persons 
from  the  northern  states,  and  the  number  is  continually 
increasing.  It  is  natural  that  I  should  regard  these  with 
an  eye  of  partiality  ;  but  after  making  due  allowances  for 
sectional  feelings,  I  am  sure  they  constitute,  the  most 
orderly,  most  intelligent,  and  most  valuable  part  of  the 
community.  At  the  same  time,  I  must  confess  that  there 
are  some  most  lamentable  exceptions,  and  doubtless 
many  a  Yankee  has  fled  here,  whose  vices  forbade  him 
an  asylum  among  the  descendants  of  the  Puritans. 

My  dear,  dearest  Mother,  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  say  to 
you,  for  the  honour  of  your  oracular  impressions,  any  thing 
which  will  tend  to  strengthen  their  infallibility.  I  have 
taxed  my  memory  to  the  utmost ;  but,  cannot  find  that  on 
either  of  the  days  you  mentioned,  any  thing  happened  to 
me,  which  would  warrant  my  disturbing  your  slumbers  ; 
and  which  I  am  sure  I  respect  too  much,  to  interrupt  for 
any,  except  the  most  urgent  reasons.  At  the  same  time 
you  will  allow  me  to  say,  that  were  I  as  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  your  "  dreams  descend  from  heaven,"  as  I 
am  that  your  motherly  kindness  will  never  fail,  there  is 
nothing  for  whose  fulfilment  I  would  more  willingly  vouch. 

My  honoured  Father  will  permit  the  observation,  that 
though  I  have  not  heretofore  always  appreciated,  as  I 
ought,  the  motives  and  the  feelings  of  a  father,  I  hope  I 
have  learned  wisdom  in  that  respect ;  and  my  highest 
earthly  gratification  would  be,  to  make  easy  the  downhill 
of  life  of  those  parents,  to  whom  I  owe  all  that  I  am,  and 
most  that  I  have. 

My  dear  Brothers  and  Sisters,  I  often  think  you  assem- 
bled around  the  family  board,  and  in  my  dreams  am  often 
seated  there  with  you  ;  but  I  awake  and  find  myself  sepa- 
rated from  you,  by  a  distance  of  at  least  two  thousand 


31  MEMOIR  OF  TH-E 

miles.  But  though  the  chain  which  binds  us  together  is 
lengthened  to  such  a  degree,  I  do  not  believe  it  is  weak- 
ened, and  oh,  may  nothing  but  death  divide  it.  Again, 
as  one  who  knows  better  than  you  can,  I  most  earnestly 
advise  yon,  again  and  again,  love,  honour,  and  obey  your 
parents.  Friends  like  them,  you  need  not  expect  to  find 
in  this  world.  I  must  conclude  by  giving  love  and  affec- 
tion to  all. 

Your  most  affectionate  and  dutiful  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

At  or  about  this  date  the  following  stanzas  appeared 
in  the  "  Republican,"  of  St.  Louis. 

MY  MOTHER. 

1  Men  forget,  but  all  shall  not  be  forgotten.'' 
"  There  is  a  fire  that  burns  on  earth, 

A  pure  and  holy  flame  ; 
It  came  to  men  from  heavenly  birth, 

And  still  it  is  the  same, 
As  when  it  burned  the  chords  along 
That  bore  the  first  born  seraph's  song — 
Sweet  as  the  hymn  of  gratitude 
That  swelled  to  heaven  when  '  all  was  good,' 
No  passion  in  the  choirs  above 
Is  purer  than  a  mother's  love  ! 

My  Mother  !  how  that  name  endears, 
Through  Memory's  griefs  and  Sorrow's  tears  ! 
I  see  thee  now  as  I  have  seen 

With  thy  young  boy  beside  thee — 
Thou  didst  not  know,  nor  couldst  thou  deem 

The  ills  that  would  betide  me  ; 
For  sorrow  then  had  dimmed  that  eye 
Which  beamed  with  only  ecstacy ! 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  35 

Ah  !  life  was  then  a  joyous  thing, 
And  time  bore  pleasure  on  its  wing. 
How  buoyant  did  the  minutes  move, 
For  I  was  hope  and  thou  wert  love. 
Beneath  thy  smiles  I  closed  the  day 
And  met  them  at  the  morning  ray  ; 
My  infant  heart  was  full  of  glee 
And  every  chord  struck  harmony. 
And  often  as  there  would  betide 
Some  little  griefs  my  heart  to  gall, 
T  bore  them  to  my  mother's  side, 
And  one  kind  kiss  dispelled  them  all. 

And  I  have  knelt  with  thee — when  none 

Were  near  but  thou  and  I — 
In  trembling  awe  before  the  throne 

Of  Mercy  in  the  sky  ; 
And  when  thy  melted  heart  was  poured 
Before  the  Being  thou  adored  ; 
How  holy  was  that  prayer  of  thine, 
Fit  offering  for  a  heavenly  shrine — 
Not  for  thyself  a  wish — not  one — 
But  smile  upon,  Lord,  bless  my  son  ! 
And  I  have  risen  and  gone  my  way, 

And  seemed  to  have  forgot  ; 
Yet  oft  my  wandering  thoughts  would  stray 

Back  to  that  hallowed  spot — 
While  feelings  new  and  undefined, 
Would  crowd  upon  my  labouring  mind. 

O  days  of  innocence  and  peace  ! 
O  ill  exchanged  for  manhood's  years  ! 
When  mirth  that  sprang  from  youthful  bliss, 
Is  drowned  beneath  misfortune's  tears. 
My  heart  has  since  been  sadly  worn, 
While  wave  on  wave  has  o'er  it  borne  ; 
And  feelings  once  all  fresh  and  green, 
Are  now  as  though  they  ne'er  had  been. 


36  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

And  Hope  that  bright  and  buoyant  thing, 
E'en  hope  has  lent  despair  its  wing  ; 
And  sits  despoiled  within  my  breast, 
A  timid,  torturing,  trembling  guest  ! 
I  dare  not  look  upon  the  past, 
I  care  not  for  the  future  cast. 
Yet  o'er  this  darkness  of  the  soul 

There  comes  one  cheering  beam 
Pure,  warm,  and  bright,  of  rapture  full 

As  angel  visits  seem — 
A  Mother's  love,  a  Mother's  care.— 
My  aching  heart,  there's  comfort  there ! 

It  is  as  if  a  lovely  rose 
Should  bloom  amid  the  icy  waste  ; 

For  while  the  heart's  life-streams  are  froze, 
Its  fragrance  o'er  it  still  is  cast. 

Weary  and  worn  my  bed  I've  shared 

With  sickness  and  with  pain, 
Nor  one  of  all  that  saw  me,  cared 

If  e'er  I  rose  again — 
Heedless  and  quick  they  past  along, 
With  noisy  mirth  and  ribald  song, 
And  not  a  hand  outstretched  to  give 
A  cordial  that  should  bid  me  live. 
And  woman,  too,  that  nurse  of  ease, 
Made  up  of  love  and  sympathies, 
Ay,  woman,  she — she  passed  me  by, 
With  cold,  averted,  careless  eye  ; 
Nor  deigned  to  ask,  nor  seemed  to  care 
If  death  and  I  were  struggling  there  ! 
Ah  !  then  I've  thought  and/eft  it  too — 
My  Mother  is  not  such  as  you  ! 
How  would  she  sit  beside  my  bed, 
And  pillow  up  my  aching  head, 
And  then,  in  accents  true  as  mild, 
«  Would  I  were  suffering  for  thee,  child  !' 
And  try  to  soothe  my  griefs  away. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  37 

And  look  e'en  more  than  she  could  say  ; 
And  press  her  cheek  to  mine,  nor  fear 
Though  plague  or  fever  wantoned  there  ; 
And  watch  through  weary  nights  and  lone, 
Nor  deem  fatigue  could  be  her  own. 
And  if,  perchance,  I  slept,  the  last 
I  saw,  her  eyes,  were  on  me  cast ; 
And  when  I  woke,  'twould  be  to  meet 
The  same  kind  anxious  glance,  so  sweet. 
And  so  endearing  that  it  seemed 
As  from  a  seraph's  eye  it  beamed. 

My  Mother  !  I  am  far  away 

From  home,  and  love,  and  thee  : 
And  stranger  hands  may  heap  the  clay 

That  soon  may  cover  me  ;. 
Yet  we  shall  meet — perhaps  not  here — 
But  in  yon  shining,  azure  sphere  : 
And  if  there's  aught  assures  me  more, 

Ere  yet  my  spirit  fly, 
That  Heaven  has  mercy  still  in  store, 

For  such  a  wretch  as  I, 
'Tis  that  a  heart  so  good  as  thine, 
Must  bleed — must  burst  along  with  mine 

And  life  is  short,  at  best,  and  Time 

Must  soon  prepare  the  tomb  ; 
And  there  is  sure  a  happier  clime, 

Beyond  this  world  of  gloom — 
And  should  it  be  my  happy  lot — 
After  a  life  of  care  and  pain, 
In  sadness  spent,  or  spent  in  vain — 
To  go  where  sighs  and  sin  are  not  ; 
Twill  make  the  half  my  heaven  to  be, 
My  Mother,  evermore  with  thee  !" 

In  the  course  of  the  next  year  he  engaged  in  editing 
and  publishing  a  political  paper  advocating,  the  claims  of 


38  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Henry  Clay  to  the  presidency.  His  prospects  of  politi 
cal  elevation  were  more  and  more  flattering,  until  Janu 
ary,  1832  ;  when  on  account  of  a  change  in  his  religious 
feelings,  his  future  life  took  an  entirely  new  direction. 
Of  the  commencement  and  progress  of  that  change,  he 
speaks  in  the  two  letters  here  inserted. 

St.  Louis,  January  24M,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  AND  HONOURED  PARENTS  : 

Forgive  your  undutiful  son  that  he  has  so  long 
neglected  writing  to  you.  I  hardly  know  what  excuse 
to  make,  and  I  well  know  there  can  be  none  suffi- 
cient. I  hope  you  have  received  the  "  Times"  regularly ; 
this  will  have  kept  you  informed  of  my  existence,  and 
also  of  the  nature  of  my  employment.  I  have  usually 
enjoyed  good  health — much  better  than  I  anticipated. 
Poor  brother  Daniel !  he  is  gone,  and,  as  I  trust,  to  a 
better  world.  If  so,  his  departure  affords  no  cause  of 
lamentation.  Your  letter  containing  the  information  of 
his  death  was  safely  received. 

My  dear  Father  and  Mother,  amidst  all  my  wanderings, 

"  In  all  my  griefs,  and  God  has  given  my  share," 

I  have  never  forgotten — it  has  been  the  chief  source  of  my 
consolation,  that  day  and  night  you  have  been  interceding 
for  me  at  a  Throne  of  Grace.  I  have  never,  for  a  mo- 
ment, doubted  that  paternal  affection  ceased  not  to  plead 
for  mercy  upon  the  wayward  and  far  distant  son.  I  knew 
that  that  love  was  yours,  which  neither  time  nor  distance 
could  weaken,  and  think  you,  that  I  should  forget  the 
many  earnest  and  agonizing  petitions  which  I  have 
heard  ascending  from  the  family  altar.  Oh,  never  !  I  will 
tell  you  all.  Last  spring  there  was  a  partial  revival  of  reli- 
gion in  this  city.  I  became  somewhat  seriously  impressed, 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  39 

I  may  say  considerably  so.  I  attended  the  inquiry  meet- 
ings, and  for  some  time  really  felt  a  delight  in  religious 
exercises.  But  gradually  these  feelings  all  left  me,  and 
I  returned  to  the  world  a  more  hardened  sinner  than 
ever.  At  this  time  the  spirit  of  God  is  manifesting  itself 
in  our  city  in  a  most  wonderful  manner.  Its  effects  are 
such  as  I  have  never  before  witnessed.  Meetings  are 
held  almost  every  evening,  at  which  individuals  of  all 
ages  and  characters  attend,  and  where  the  power  of 
God  to  salvation  is  manifested,  so  that  the  blindest  must 
see  and  the  hardest  feel.  I  have  reason  to  hope  that 
the  good  spirit  has  again  visited  me,  inviting  me  to  for- 
sake the  world  and  come  to  Jesus.  I  own  that  I  hardly 
dare  admit  such  a  belief,  it  seems  to  me  scarcely  possible 
that  one  who  has  so  long  lived  in  sin,  who  has  resisted 
so  much  light,  and  has  so  often  grieved  away  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  I  have,  should  be  again  visited  with  its  heavenly 
influences.  But  I  hope  it  is  so- 

And  now,  my  dear  and  honoured  Father  and  Mother, 
will  you  not  pray  for  me— if  possible,  with  more  earnest- 
ness than  you  have  ever  yet  done  ?  Will  you  not  plead 
for  me  the  provisions  of  that  covenant  into  which  I  have 
been  baptized  ?  Oh,  if  you  knew  what  value  I  place 
upon  your  prayers,  if  you  knew  what  your  first-bora 
son  would  give  to  be  at  this  moment,  kneeling  between 
you,  before  the  altar  of  mercy,  while  you  made  supplica- 
tion for  him  to  the  Giver  of  life  and  death.  I  am  sure 
you  would  pray — pray  earnestly — pray  unceasingly,  that 
the  long-lost  wanderer  might  be  restored  to  the  fold  from 
which  he  hath  strayed.  Oh,  forget  all  my  ingratitude, 
my  unthankfulness,  and  the  innumerable  instances  of  my 
undutiful  conduct,  and  think  only  of  the  repentant  son, 
who  intreats,  who  implores  your  prayers,  that  he  may 
not  perish  eternally.  Oh,  could  I  this  night  fall  down 


40  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

at  your  feet,  and  ask  your  forgiveness  and  beg  your 
blessing  ;  I  should  feel  that  there  might  yet  be  hope 
even  for  me,  vile,  sinful,  and  disobedient  as  I  have  been, 
both  to  Heaven  and  to  you.  But  you  will  not  remember 
aught  against  me,  I  know  you  will  not.  I  know  that  I 
have  your  forgiveness  ere  I  asked  it.  But  will  God  forgive 
me,  against  whom  my  sins  have  been  infinitely  more 
numerous  and  aggravated  ?  Can  I  hope  for  pardon  from 
Him — I,  who  have  done  despite  to  the  covenant  of  grace, 
and  have  so  long  counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant  an 
unholy  thing? 

My  Father  and  my  Mother,  my  dear,  dear  parents,  le: 
me  remind  you  of  the  obligations  you  assumed,  when  you 
consecrated  me  to  God  in  my  infancy.  By  the  vows 
you  then  made,  by  the  gratitude  you  felt  that  God  had 
given  you  a  man-child,  by  your  love  for  Him  who  has  re- 
deemed you,  by  your  sense  of  the  worth  of  an  immortal 
soul,  let  me  adjure  you  to  pray  for  me, — me,  the  chief  of 
sinners, — me,  whom,  perhaps,  you  will  never  see  more 
till  we  meet  at  the  bar  of  God  in  judgment. 

I  request,  my  dear  parents,  that  you  will  call  the  fa- 
mily together,  read  them  this  letter,  and  then  unite  in 
prayer  for  him,  a  son  and  brother  who  dwells  among 
strangers  in  a  strange  land.  Adieu,  my  dear  and  ho- 
noured parents,  and  may  Heaven  bless  you  for  all  your 
kindness  to 

Your  unthankful  but  still  dutiful  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

St.  Louis,  February  22,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  AND  HONOURED  PARENTS, 

After  reading  this  letter,  you  will,  I  think  be 
ready  to  exclaim  with  me,  "  God's  ways  are  not  >ur 
ways,  nor  his  thoughts  as  our  thoughts."  When  this 


REV.   E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  41 

letter  reaches  you,  I  shall,  if  God  spares  my  life  and 
health,  be  on  my  way  to  Princeton,  in  New  Jersey,  for 
the  purpose  of  entering  upon  my  studies  preparatory  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry.  I  wrote  you,  four  weeks  since 
last  Tuesday,  and,  as  you  will  have  learned  from  that 
letter,  was  then  in  a  state  of  deep  distress.  Sorrow  had 
taken  hold  upon  me,  and  a  sense  of  my  long  career  in 
sin  and  rebellion  against  God,  lay  heavy  upon  my  soul. 
But  it  pleased  God,  and  blessed  be  his  holy  name,  to 
grant  me,  as  I  humbly  hope,  that  very  night,  joy  and 
peace  in  believing.  I  was,  by  divine  grace,  enabled  to 
bring  all  my  sins  and  all  my  sorrows,  and  lay  them  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  to  receive  the  blessed  assurance 
that  He  had  accepted  me,  all  sinful  and  polluted  as  I 
was. 

My  dear  parents,  I  can  see  you  now,  after  having 
read  thus  far,  sheddiag  tears  of  joy  over  the  return  of 
your  prodigal  son  ;  but  oh !  forget  not  to  return  thanks 
to  that  God  of  the  promises,  who,  as  I  humbly  hope,  has 
at  length  heard  your  prayers  in  behalf  of  one,  for  whom, 
at  times,  you  were  ready  to  say  there  remaineth  no 
longer  any  hope.  And  surely,  you  may  well  join  with 
me  in  saying,  that  nothing  but  a  miracle  of  sovereign 
mercy  could  have  arrested  and  saved  me,  from  eternal 
perdition.  How  I  could  have  so  long  resisted  the  en- 
treaties, the  prayers,  and  the  tears  of  my  dear  parents, 
and  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is,  to  me,  a  wonder 
entirely  incomprehensible  ;  and  still  greater  is  my  asto- 
nishment, and  my  admiration,  that  God  has  still  borne 
with  me,  still  continued  unto  me  the  influences  of  his 
spirit,  and  at  last  brought  me  to  submit  myself  to  Him. 
I  think  I  can  now  have  some  faint  conceptions  of  bound- 
less, infinite  mercy.  I  look  back  upon  my  past  life,  and 
am  lost  in  utter  amazement  at  the  perfect  folly,  and  mad- 
4* 


42  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

ness  of  my  conduct.  Why,  my  dear  parents,  it  is  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  become  a  Christian — ten 
thousand  times  easier  than  it  is  to  hold  out  unrepenting 
against  the  motives  which  God  presents  to  the  mind,  to 
induce  it  to  forsake  its  evil  thoughts  and  turn  unto  Him. 
If  I  could  forget  what  I  have  been  and  what  I  have  done, 
I  should  certainly  say  it  was  impossible  that  any  one 
could  read  of  a  Saviour,  and  not  love  him  with  their 
whole  heart.  The  eternal  God  — the  infinite  Jehovah — 
has  done  all  he  could  do — even  to  the  sacrificing  his  own 
Son — to  provide  a  way  for  man's  happiness,  and  yet 
they  reject  him,  hate  him,  and  laugh  him  to  scorn  !  How 
God  could  suffer  me  to  live  so  long  as  I  have  lived,  is 
more  than  I  can  understand.  Well  may  He  call  upon 
the  heavens  to  be  astonished  both  at  His  own  forbear- 
ance, and  the  unnatural  rebellion  of  his  creatures.  Do 
Christians  ever  feel  oppressed,  as  it  were,  with  the  debt 
of  gratitude  which  they  owe  to  their  Redeemer.  Why, 
it  seems  to  me,  sometimes,  as  if  I  could  not  bear  up  under 
the  weight  of  my  obligations  to  God  in  Christ,  as  if  they 
would  press  me  to  the  very  earth.  And  I  am  only  re- 
lieved by  the  reflection  that  I  have  an  eternity  in  which 
I  may  praise  and  magnify  the  riches  of  his  grace. 

And  now,  my  dear  and  honoured  parents,  how  shall  I 
express  my  sense  of  the  gratitude  I  owe  to  you — how 
shall  I  ask  pardon  for  all  the  undutiful  conduct,  of  which 
I  have  been  guilty  towards  you  ?  I  want  words  to  do 
either ;  but  I  can  pray  to  God  to  forgive  me,  and  to  re- 
ward you,  and  this  I  do  daily.  Oh,  how  much  do  I  owe 
you  for  your  kindness  to  me  in  every  thing,  but  chiefly 
for  the  religious  instruction  you  bestowed  upon  me  from 
my  earliest  youth ;  for  your  affectionate  warnings  and 
continued  entreaties  that  I  would  attend  to  the  welfare  of 
my  own  soul ;  and  for  your  prayers,  without  ceasing,  to 


REV.  B.  P.  LOVEJOY.  43 

God  that  he  would  have  mercy  upon  me,  while  I  had  no 
mercy  on  myself.  For  all  these  may  Heaven  return 
upon  your  own  heads,  a  seven-fold  blessing. 

I  made  a  public  profession  of  religion,  and  joined  the 
church  in  this  city,  on  the  sabbath  before  the  last,  the 
12th  of  the  present  month.  With  me  joined  also  thirty- 
five  others  by  profession,  and  four  by  letter.  There  are, 
probably,  as  many  more  prepared  to  join  as  soon  as  the 
next  communion  shall  arrive.  You  will  see  by  these 
facts  that  an  unusual  attention  to  religion  exists  in  this 
place.  God  is  doing  wonders  here.  The  revival  still 
continues,  and  day  after  to-morrow  will  commence  a  four 
days'  meeting.  How  long  this  state  of  things  will  con- 
tinue is  known  only  to  God  ;  but  we  know  that  he  can 
work,  and  none  can  hinder. 

After  much  prayer  and  consultation  with  my  pastor, 
the  Rev.  William  S.  Potts,  and  other  Christian  friends,  I 
have  felt  it  my  duty  to  turn  my  immediate  attention  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  shall  on  the  first  of  the 
week  start  for  Princeton,  with  a  view  of  entering  upon 
the  necessary  studies.  If  God  shall  spare  my  hitherto 
unprofitable  life,  I  hope  to  be  enabled  to  spend  the  re- 
mainder of  it  in  some  measure,  to  his  glory.  Time  now 
with  me  is  precious,  and  every  day  seems  an  age,  till  I 
can  be  at  work  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  Oh,  my 
dear  parents,  are  not  the  ways  of  Providence  inscruta- 
ble. How  long  and  how  often  did  you  pray  that  your 
first-born  son  might  succeed  his  father  in  preaching  the 
gospel,  and  after  you  had  doubtless  given  over  all  such 
hopes,  then  the  Lord  displays  his  power  in  calling  in 
the  wanderer. 

I  hope  to  see  you  in  the  course  of  the  summer  face  to 
face  ;  for  if  practicable,  and  within  the  reach  of  my 
means,  I  shall  take  time  enough  in  a  vacation  to  make  a 


44  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

visit  to  ray  dear  loved  home.  Oh,  how^  I  long  to  era- 
brace  my  parents,  and  brothers,  and  sisters,  and  tell 
them  what  God  has  done  for  me.  But  I  feel  that  I 
ought  to  say,  and  I  trust  He  will  enable  them  to  say, 
"  His  will  be  done."  Surely  after  all  his  goodness  unto 
us,  we  should  no  longer  indulge  in  one  murmuring 
thought. 

Brother  Owen  and  brother  John,  you  are  now  the 
only  members  of  the  family  who  have  not  professed  to 
hope  in  Christ — to  have  made  your  peace  with  God. 
Oh,  let  me  entreat  you,  beseech  you,  not  to  put  it  off  a 
moment  longer.  Tempt  not  God,  as  I  have  done.  Think 
of  poor  brother  Daniel,  and  make  your  peace  with  a 
Saviour  before  you  sleep,  after  reading  this. 
Your  dutiful  and  grateful  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

fe*4  "-••••': 

It  may  be  easily  imagined  that  the  above  letters  gave 
great  joy  to  his  parents-  and  friends.  The  following  is 
the  joint  reply  of  father  and  mother 

Albion,  March  19,  1832. 

M¥  DEAR  FIRST-BORN,  AND  LONG  ABSENT  SON, 

You  perhaps  may  better  conceive,  than  I  can 
express  the  sensations  your  two  last  letters  have  excited 
in  my  mind.  Your  first,  found  me  in  a  state  of  deep 
mental  debility,  to  which  as  you  know  I  have  always 
been  more  or  less  subject.  But  I  am  now  better — to 
which  your  letter  has  contributed  much.  There  is  no 
other  way,  in  which  you  could  have  given  us  so  much 
joy,  as  you  have  done  in  the  full  account  of  your  conver- 
sion, and  of  the  intended  change  of  your  pursuits.  It  is 
just  what  we  could  have  wished,  had  it  been  left  to  us  to 
dictate  in  every  particular.  Let  all  the  praise  and  glory 


•    '  REV.  E,  P.  LOVEJOY.  45 

be  given  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  I  am  glad  you 
have  made  haste  to  keep  His  commandments.  You  gave 
us  much  more  credit  than  we  think  we  deserve.  Our 
faith  has  been  wavering,  and  our  desires  far  less  ardent 
than  they  should  have  been.  Our  attachment  to  the 
blessed  covenant  has  not  been  in  proportion  to  its  value  ; 
yet  no  day  has  passed  when  you  have  been  forgotten  at 
the  throne  of  grace ;  and  the  blessed  promises  of  the 
covenant  have  tended  more  than  any  thing  else  to  keep 
alive  my  hope. 

Your  last  letter  produced  sensations  not  unlike  those, 
which  I  presume  Jacob  felt,  when  he  saw  the  wagons 
sent  from  Egypt  by  his  long-absent  son.  Do  not  think 
of  deferring  your  visit  a  moment  longer  than  is  abso- 
lutely necessary.  Returning  from  Washington,  I  found 
your  letter  upon  a  generous  sheet — I  read  and  read  it, 
and  then  we  sang  the  101st  hymn,  first  book.  We  then 
bowed  and  gave  thanks  to  the  God  of  heaven,  who  hath 
mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy.  Thanks  to  his 
name  that  he  has  brought  our  dear  son  to  the  arms  of  the 
Saviour,  and  rescued  him  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Oh, 
blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  and  let  all  flesh 
bless  his  holy  name.  You  can  but  know  that  you  are 
greatly  beloved  by  all  the  family,  and  no  one  could  dif- 
fuse more  happiness  among  us.  Your  mother  wishes  to 
fill  the  remainder. 

As  ever,  your  affectionate  father, 

DANIEL  LOVEJOY. 

MY  DEAR  SON, 

I  wrote  you  in  answer  to  yours  of  January 
22d.  giving  you  an  account  of  our  health  and  circum- 
stances. I  cannot  say  that  the  contents  of  your  last  let- 
ter were  more  than  I  expected ;  for  I  did  really  believe 


46  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVE  JOY. 

that  God  had  given  you  a  broken  and  contrite  heart ; 
and  that  is  where  the  Holy  Spirit  delights  to  dwell. 
Neither  can  I  say  it  is  more  than  I  have  asked.  It  is 
just  what  I  have  prayed  for,  as  I  have  thought,  with  all 
iny  heart.  But  I  can  say  it  is  more  than  I  deserved. 
But  God  is  a  sovereign ;  He  does  not  deal  with  us  ac- 
cording to  our  deserts,  nor  reward  us  according  to  our 
iniquities.  For  as  far  as  the  heavens  are  above  the  earth, 
so  far  are  his  thoughts  above  our  thoughts. 

The  death  of  your  dear  brother  Daniel,  was  a  dark 
and  mysterious  providence.  It  almost  overwhelmed  me 
with  gloom  and  despondency ;  and  I  thought  it  could 
never  be  explained  to  me,  till  I  arrived  at  the  heavenly 
world.  But  I  think  I  can  now  see  why  it  must  be  so. 
I  was  not  sufficiently  humble,  nor  prepared  to  receive  the 
blessings,  which  God  had  in  store  for  me.  Oh,  that  the 
blessed  God  would  keep  me  at  his  feet  in  the  very  dust 
before  Him.  I  never  had  so  clear  a  view  of  the  evil  na- 
ture of  sin,  and  of  the  glorious  plan  of  salvation  by  Jesus 
Christ,  as  I  have  had  since  the  death  of  my  dear  child. 
God  has  made  me  feel  that  it  is  an  evil  and  bitter  thing 
to  sin  against  Him — that  his  ways  are  equal.  And  now 
my  dear  child,  I  hope  you  will  follow  on  to  know  the 
Lord,  that  you  may  find  your  going  forth  prepared  as  the 
morning — that  His  spirit  may  come  unto  you  as  the  rain, 
as  the  latter  and  the  former  rain  unto  the  earth. 
So  prays  your  rejoicing, 

Affectionate,  mother. 

ELIZABETH  LOVEJOY. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  following  letters  were  written  soon  after  arriving 
at  Princeton. 

Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J.,  April  2d,  1832. 

M¥  DEAR  AND  HONOURED  PARENTS, 

Through  the  great  and  most  undeserved  good- 
ness of  God  unto  me,  I  arrived  here  on  the  24th  uit.  in 
good  health,  and  on  the  same  day  was  admitted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  this  institution.  And  so  I  am  here  preparing  to 
become  a  minister  of  the  everlasting  gospel !  When  I 
review  my  past  life,  I  am  astonished  and  confounded, 
and  hardly  know  which  most  to  wonder  at,  my  own  stu- 
pidity, and  blindness,  and  guilt,  or  the  long-suffering  and 
compassion  of  God.  That  He  should  have  blessed  me 
with  such  opportunities  of  becoming  acquainted  with  His 
holy  word — should  have  given  me  parents  who,  in  the 
arms  of  their  faith,  dedicated  me  to  Him,  according  to 
His  gracious  covenant,  and  who  early,  and  constantly, 
and  faithfully,  and  with  many  tears,  warned  and  entreated 
me  to  embrace  the  offers  of  salvation,  through  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  notwithstanding  all  this,  when  He  saw  me 
hardening  my  heart,  resisting  the  prayers  of  my  parents 
and  -friends,  grieving  His  holy  spirit,  and  counting  the 
blood  of  the  covenant  into  which  I  had  been  baptized  an 
unholy  thing,  that  He  should  have  still  borne  with  me, 
should  have  suffered  me  to  live,  and  at  last  given  me 
reason  to  hope  that  I  have  by  his  grace  been  enabled  to 


48  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

return  to  my  Father's  house,  all  this  seems  to  me  a  mira- 
cle of  goodness,  such  as  a  God  alone  could  perform,  and 
far  too  wonderful  for  me  to  comprehend.  I  can  only 
bow  down  my  head  and  adore.  How  often  do  I  ask 
myself,  why  have  I  been  thus  favored  ?  why  was  I  made 
to  hearthe  invitation  of  the  Blessed  Spirit  ?  "  Return  unto 
the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  on  you."  Oh,  here  is 
love  and  wisdom  united  in  a  degree  beyond  our  highest 
conceptions.  I  think  I  said  in  my  last,  that  no  part  of 
the  revealed  will  of  God  appeared  more  precious  to  me, 
than  that  which  reveals  to  man  the  gracious  covenant 
which  Jesus  Christ  made  with  Abraham,  and  to  fulfil  the 
stipulations  of  which  on  His  part,  in  process  of  time  he 
came  into  the  world,  expiated  our  sins  in  his  own  body 
on  the  tree.  The  more  I  reflect  upon  the  subject,  the 
more  reason  do  I  see  for  thankfulness  and  gratitude  to 
God,  for  his  condescension  in  entering  into  such  a  cove 
nant,  and  for  his  sovereign  mercy  in  giving  me  parents 
who  acknowledged  its  obligations,  and  in  the  arms  of 
faith  brought  me  before  His  altar,  and  consecrated  me  to 
God.  I  think  I  can  see  plainly  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
made  this  a  means  of  keeping  the  truth  before  my  mind 
when  to  every  thing  else  I  was  insensible.  Oh,  my  dear 
parents,  join  with  me  in  adoring  and  magnifying  the  name 
of  the  Lord  God  of  our  salvation. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY 

Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J.,  April  24th,  1832 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  SlBYL, 

Your  letter  gave  me  both  pleasure  and  pain.  I 
was  very  glad  to  hear  from  you,  directly,  to  see  your 
hand-writing,  but  it  grieved  me  much  to  hear  of  the  state 
of  our  dear  father's  health.  It  is  the  more  distressing  to 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  49 

me,  that  it  is  altogether  unexpected.  I  had  thought  that' 
he  had,  at  last,  succeeded  in  banishing  from  his  mind 
those  fits  of  morbid  melancholy  which  so  entirely  unman 
whomsoever  they  take  possession  of.  Too  well,  do  I 
know,  by  experience,  that  there  is  no  remedy  for  a  state 
of  mind  like  this  ;  none,  at  least,  to  be  found  on  earth — 
neither  my  staying  away  or  coming  home,  will  have  the 
least  effect.  But  there  is  One  who  can  minister  to  a 
mind  diseased — One  in  whose  hand  are  all  the  issues  of 
life  and  death.  How  strange,  then,  my  dear  sister,  that 
I,  who  had  so  often  seen  and  so  deeply  felt  the  insuffi- 
ciency of  all  created  help,  should  so  long  have  neglected 
not  only  my  duty  but  my  highest  privilege,  of  applying  to 
that  great  Physician  !  How  depraved  must  be  that  un- 
derstanding, and  how  perverted  that  intellect,  which  thus 
knows  its  disease,  yet  seeks  not,  nay,  refuses  to  be 
healed.  I  hope  I  shall  never  again  be  at  a  loss  for  a 
source  of  consolation,  let  what  may  betide.  I  am  sure  I 
ought  not  to  be,  but  I  have  great  reason  to  tremble  lest 
Satan  and  my  own  wicked  heart  get  the  better  of  me.  It 
is  no  easy  matter  to  fight  such  enemies  as  these,  but  with 
Christ  strengthening  me,  I  know  I  shall  come  off  more 
than  conqueror. 

How  does  our  dear  mother  do  ?  You  say  in  your  let- 
ter, that  she  enjoys  good  health.  For  this,  the  Lord  be 
thanked.  She  is  a  wonderful  woman.  You  know  this 
already,  but  you  do  not  know  it  so  well  as  I  do — I  have 
never  seen  her  equal,  take  all  her  qualities  together.  So 
pure,  so  disinterestedly  benevolent  a  heart,  seldom  lodges 
in  a  house  of  clay,  and  never,  save  in  the  bosom  of  a  mo- 
ther. Great,  I  doubt  not  will  be  her  reward  in  heaven, 
for  there  is  nothing  here  which  can  compensate  for  such 
love. 

I  have  written  b    \  to  Owen  and  to  John,  since  I  came 
5 


50  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

here — having  had  a  letter  from  John,  but  not  from  Owen. 
It  is  of  them  that  I  think  more  than  of  any  of  the  rest  of 
the  family.  I  have,  sometimes,  enjoyed  great  confidence 
in  the  mercies  and  faithfulness  of  God,  in  relation  to 
their  case.  If  He  has  had  mercy  on  me,  the  oldest  and 
most  guilty  sinner  of  you  all,  why  should  I  despair,  or 
even  doubt  of  his  willingness  to  receive  them  also.  I 
have  thus  far  made  it  a  rule  to  pray  specially  for  them, 
every  night  and  morning,  and,  if  God  will,  I  intend  to 
continue  this  practice  until  my  prayers  shall  have  been 
answered,  or  my  voice  shall  have  been  "  lost  in  death." 
It  s.eems  to  me  as  if  they  could  not  remain  insensible, 
could  I  but  see  them,  and  tell  them  how  unspeakably  pre- 
cious is  Christ  to  the  penitent  soul. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

The  latter  part  of  May,  and  the  month  of  June,  were 
spent  in  a  visit  to  his  friends  in  Maine.  During  this  pe- 
riod, our  beloved  father  was  suffering  under  deep  mental 
despondency.  Allusion  has  been  made  to  his  case  in  the 
letters  which  have  been  inserted.  It  is  again  mentioned, 
in  others  which  succeed.  One  is  given  also,  written,  as 
it  will  show,  on  another  subject. 

Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  /.,  Aug.  21,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  AND  HONOURED  FATHER. 

I  have  this  day  received  a  letter  from  mother, 
containing  news,  for  which,  I  trust,  I  do  in  some  measure 
feel  thankful  to  God.  I  can  hardly  allow  myself  to  cred- 
it it,  and  yet  it  is  no  more  than  I  have  prayed  for,  daily, 
since  I  left  home,  and  no  more  than  I  have,  in  a  good 
measure,  believed  would  take  place. 

Mother  says  your  health  is  "  almost  perfectly  re-es- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOT.  51 

tablished."  I  have  tried  to  thank  a  merciful  God  for  suf- 
fering ray  heart  to  be  gladdened  with  such  blessed  news. 
I  am  sure  that  I  am  thankful  to  him,  but  oh,  not  as  I  ought. 
Oh  father!  is  he  not  a  God  that  showeth  mercy  and 
keepeth  covenant?  Of  all  sins,  it  seems  to  me,  that  the 
sin  of  unbelief  is  the  most  dishonouring  to  God.  What 
abundant  reason  have  we,  as  a  family,  to  praise  and 
adore  the  riches  of  sovereign  love  and  mercy  1  And 
what  reason  have  all  the  children,  and  I,  above  all  the 
rest,  to  humble  ourselves,  because,  of  our  hardness  of 
heart  and  blindness  of  mind,  so  that  all  the  goodness  of 
God  could  not  lead  us  to  repentance  1  If  I  am  saved 
well  do  I  know  it  can  only  be  by  sovereign  love  alone. 

I  have  reason  to  bless  God,  who  gave  me  parents,  that 
faithfully  instructed  me  in  the  knowledge  of  His  holy 
word  from  my  earliest  years,  who  prayed  for  me,  with 
many  tears  and  strong  cries  unto  heaven,  and  who  gave 
me  away  in  covenant  to  God.  All  these  things  are 
blessings  too  great  to  be  expressed,  and  to  them,  under 
God,  do  I  feel  that  I  owe  all  my  hopes  of  salvation. 

I  do  not,  my  dear  father,  enjoy  that  lively  sense 
of  forgiving  love,  that  communion  with  God,  that  I 
could  wish.  Sin  has  yet  dominion  over  me,  and  its 
power  is  terrible.  I  used  to  think  that  when  the  heart 
was  once  renewed,  it  was  no  longer  subject  to  the  temp- 
tations of  sin,  and  that  it  was  as  easy  then  to  keep  the 
commandments,  as  it  had  been  to  disobey  them.  But, 
either  I  was  mistaken  then,  or  I  deceive  myself  now ; 
for  so  far  from  finding  it  an  easy  matter  to  keep  the  law, 
I  cannot,  or  at  least  I  do  not,  do  it  at  all.  It  seems  al- 
most impossible  to  break  away  from  my  old  habits  of  sin, 
and  one  temptation  returns  upon  another,  until  sometimes 
[  give  up  in  despair.  My  heart  appears  an  inexhaustible 
fountain  of  sin  ;  for  no  sooner  is  one  subdued  than  an.- 


52  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

other  takes  its  place,  no  sooner  is  one  train  of  evil 
thoughts  banished,  than  another  succeeds  ;  and  every 
day,  and  a  hundred  times  a  day,  do  I  think  that  I  am 
growing  worse  and  worse,  instead  of  increasing  in  holi- 
ness. It  is  at  such  times  that  I  am  beset  with  unbelief; 
seeing  my  sins  so  great  and  numerous,  I  doubt  that  the 
blood  of  Christ  is  sufficient  to  cleanse  me  from  them. 
And  this  is  the  sorest  trial  of  aU  ;  for  when  this  hope 
fails  me  then  all  is  gone.  And  thus  I  live,  hoping, 
doubting,  fearing,  ashamed  of  myself,  and  of  my  own 
nnworthiness,  and  yet  not  daring  to  trust  unhesitatingly 
in  the  merits  of  Christ.  Do  write  me,  my  dear  father,  a 
long  letter,  and  deal  faithfully  with  me.  You  know  the 
trials  that  await  the  Christian,  and  you  know  me  and  my 
weak  points,  and  those  where  Satan  will  be  most  likely 
to  assault  me.  Where  else  can  I  look  for  such  faithful, 
disinterested  counsel,  as  from  a  father. 

I  spent  nearly  a  week  in  Bath,  at  Mr.  Ellingwood's. 
He  was  very  kind  and  friendly  ;  and,  it  seemed  to  me, 
especially  interested  in  your  case.  He  spoke  of  the 
missionary  meeting  at  Fryeburg,  and  of  the  part  which 
you  took,  saying,  that  your  remarks  at -the  administration 
of  the  sacrament,  were  the  best  he  ever  heard  in  his  life. 
Your  affectionate  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVE  JOY. 

Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J.,  Sept.  I5tk.  1832. 

MY  DEAR  AND  HONOURED  FATHER. 

Your  letter  of  August  26th,  was  received  with 
emotions  such  as  I  cannot,  and  I  need  not  attempt  to  de- 
scribe. I  think  I  did,  in  some  measure  feel  thankful  to 
the  Disposer  of  events  ;  but,  oh,  not  as  I  ought.  How 
strange  that  ingratitude  and  distrust,  and  cold  affections 
should  ever  find  place  in  the  hearts  of  Christians  !  Is 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  53 

not,  my  dear  father,  the  sin  of  unbelief  one  of  the  most 
heinous  of  all  sins  ? 

I  have  never,  since  I  have  been  old  enough  to  think  and 
judge  of  such  things,  doubted  that  my  father  was  a 
Christian,  and  although  all  my  notions  on  this  subject 
have  been  wretchedly  crude,  yet  I  could  always  under- 
stand the  declaration  of  the  Saviour, — "  All  that  my  Fa- 
ther hath  given  unto  me,  I  will  keep  ;"  and  have,  there- 
fore, ever  supposed  that  my  father's  ease  illustrated  the 
truth  of  the  declaration, — "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he 
chasteneth." 

Do  you  not  recollect  father,  when  I  was  at  home,  that 
I  quoted  to  you  the  words  of  Manoah's  wife,  (my  father, 
as  well  as  Manoah,  knows  what  a  blessing  it  is  to  have 
a  wife  who  can  cheer  and  animate  his  drooping  faith,) 
that  "  If  the  Lord  were  pleased  to  kill  us,  he  would  not 
have  showed  us  all  these  things."  It  seems  to  me,  if 
there  be  a  family  in  the  world  who  ought  to  adopt  these 
words,  it  is  ours.  Sure  I  am,  that  it  is  not  seemingly 
possible,  that  any  individual  can  do  more  to  provoke  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  leave  him  to  his  destruction,  than  I  have 
done.  I  cannot  conceive  of  a  person  more  likely  to  resist 
all  heavenly  influences,  than  I  was,  when,  as  I  trust,  I 
was  found  by  a  compassionate  Saviour  and  constrained 
to  come  in.  Grace,  sovereign  grace,  nothing  else,  I  am 
sure,  could  ever  have  rescued  me. 

And  now,  my  dear  father,  I  have  to  say,  that  under 
God,  I  feel  myself  indebted  for  my  hopes  to  the  faithful- 
ness and  the  prayers  of  my  parents.  Never  can  I  enough 
acknowledge  my  obligations  to  them,  for  dedicating  me 
to  God  in  the  blessed  covenant,  for  their  religious  in- 
structions so  faithfully  repeated,  and  for  that  example  of 
Christian  conversation  which  I  witnessed  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  I  am  sure,  that  when  you  saw  your  chil- 
5* 


54  MEMOIR  OP  THE 

dren  growing  up  around  you,  and  no  appearance  of  any 
effects  of  your  long-continued  labours,  your  faith  must 
have  been  severely  tried.  I  was  about  to  say,  that  I  do  not 
see  how  you  could  thus  have  persevered  ;  but,  I  will  not 
say  so,  because,  you  had  a  covenant  keepiag  God,  in 
whom  to  trust.  What  an  unspeakably  precious  thing  is 
the  covenant  made  with  "  Abraham  and  his  seed."  I 
cannot,  and  I  will  not  doubt  that  my  dear  brothers  Owen 
and  John  will  yet  be  given  to  the  prayer  of  their  parents. 
All  in  the  Lord's  own  time. 

The  12th  of  the  month,  I  endeavoured  to  observe  as  a 
day  of  thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God ;  and  through  his 
grace,  I  was  enabled  to  feel  a  good  degree  of  thankful- 
ness and  some  humility.  It  was  a  precious  thought  that 
I  was  joining  with  my  parents,  and  brothers  and  sisters 
in  the  delightful  work  of  prayer  and  praise.  The  30th, 
103d,  and  104th  Psalms  I  read  and  meditated  upon  with 
a  great  deal  of  delight. 

You  remember,  father,  that  I  told  you  I  should  expect 
to  see  you  here  next  spring  ;  Sibyl's  letter,  just  received, 
tells  me  you  contemplate,  the  Lord  willing,  to  take  the 
trip  then.  Come  here,  and  I  will  introduce  you  to- one 
of  the  best  men  in  the  world, — Dr.  Alexander.  He  has 
few  equals  that  I  have  ever  seen.  Do  write  me  a  long- 
letter.  Give  me  the  advice,  the  counsel  1  need  so  much. 
May  the  Lord  God  Almighty  bless  you,  my  dear  father, 
and  reward  you  a  hundred-fold  for  all  your  goodness  to 
me. 

Mother, — It  seems  to  me  there  is  no  need  of  dear  be- 
fore that  word,  for  it  includes  within  itself  all  of  endear- 
ment that  we  can  conceive.  I  have  just  left  room 
enough  to  tell  you  that  my  health  is  good,  my  situation 
agreeable,  and  as  for  progress  in  my  studies,  you  know 
that  I  should  not  do  justice  to  either  father  or  mother, 


.  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  55 

if  I  did  -not  make  good  progress  in  them.    (This  will 
do  to  tell  a  mother.)     Where  is  John  ?     I  do  not  hear 
from  him  at  all.     Brother  Owen,  I  suppose,  is  now  at 
home.     Tell  him  to  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Your  affectionate  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J.,  Feb.  12th,  1833 

MY   DEAR   BROTHER  JOSEPH. 

Your  letter,  filled  indeed  with  tidings  of  wo, 
was  received  this  morning.  To  the  heart  of  a  parent, 
the  loss  of  a  beloved  child  gives  a  pang  which,  I  suppose, 
none  but  a  parent  can  feel.  Yet  I  most  sincerely  con- 
dole with  you  on  the  affliction  which  it  has  pleased  God 
to  send  you.  She  was  a  pretty  child,  and  one  in  whom 
I  felt  much  interest,  when  at  home  last  summer.  Her 
age,  too,  was  precisely  that  when  children  are  to  me 
most  interesting,  and  I  doubt  not,  you  found  her  every 
day  twining  some  new  cord  of  affection  about  your 
heart ;  but  death,  alas  !  has  at  once  rudely  snapped 
them  all.  Yet  let  this  comfort  you,  that  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  has  commissioned  him  to  do  this  thing,  and,  if  you 
are  his,  it  has  been  done  in  mercy.  Reflect  that  if  you 
could,  at  the  present  moment,  take  in  all  the  bearings  of 
the  whole  subject,  if  you  could  see  what  God  sees,  you 
would  plainly  discern,  that  what  has  been  done  is  best 
both  for  you  and  the  child  ;  and  instead  of  shedding  tears 
of  regret  and  unavailing  grief,  you  would  be  pouring  forth 
from  a  full  heart  and  streaming  eyes,  tears  of  joy  and 
thankfulness.  When  we  have  learned  to  have  no  will, 
but  the  will  of  our  heavenly  Father,  then  we  shall  never 
be  disappointed  :  of  this  we  are  sure,  because  He  doeth 
all  his  wifl,  and  none  can  stay  him.  Some  things  we 
can  see  here,  and  what  we  know  not  now,  we  shall 


56  MEMOIR  Of  THE 

know  hereafter.  "  I  shall  go  to  him,  but-  he  shall 
not  return  to  me,"  said  David,  and  therefore  he  arose 
and  was  comforted.  God  has  been  pleased  to  give 
to  little  Sarah  a  short,  and  comparatively,  an  easy  jour- 
ney through  this  land  of  afflictions.  How  fast  her  little 
capacities  are  expanding  we  cannot  tell ;  but  I  have  little 
doubt,  that  she  is  drinking  in  full  measures  of  happiness 
in  the  presence  of  her  Saviour,  to  a  degree  that  we  do 
not  conceive  of.  Besides,  if  rightly  improved,  this  event 
will  make  you  a  better  man  and  a  more  successful  minis 
ter,  than  you  would  otherwise  have  been. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  SARAH. 

You  weep  for  your  child,  and  I  would  not  ask 
you  to  refrain  from  weeping ;  for  nature  will  assert  its 
supremacy  in  the  bosom  of  a  mother.  The  cords  which 
bind  a  child  to  a  mother's  heart  are  strangely  intertwined 
with  her  being ;  and  every  nerve  and  every  affection  vi- 
brates to  the  blow  which  tears  them  asunder.  It  was 
your  first-born,  too.  When  your  eyes  first  looked  upon 
the  dear,  departed  little  one,  then  was  opened  in  your 
heart  a  new  fountain  of  feeling,  sweeter  and  more  deli 
cious,  a  thousand  times,  than  you  had  ever  before  tasted 
Alas  !  and  that  fountain  must  now  again  be  closed. 

True,  my  dear  sister,  but  do  you  not  know  where  to 
go  for  consolation  ?  There  is  a  fountain  whose  streams 
are  never  dry ;  and  though  one  source  after  another  of 
earthly  happiness  may  be  cut  ofF,  yet  this  never  fails. 
And  the  less  we  drink  from  the  polluted  fountains  of 
earth,  the  sweeter  will  the  waters  taste. 

What  a  beautiful  and  touching  scene  is  that  exhibited 
to  us  in  the  Bible,  in  the  case  of  the  Shunamite  woman. 
She  had  left  her  child  lying  dead  at  home,  and  gone  out 
to  meet  the  prophet.  When  he  asked  her,  "  Is  it  well 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY-  57 

with  the  child  ?"  she  answered  "  It  is  well."  She  knew 
that  her  child  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  who  doeth 
all  things  well.  Now,  if  your  little  Sarah  were  still 
living,  and  you  were  convinced  that  you  ought  to  leave 
her  for  awhile,  and  entrust  it  to  the  care  of  its  father, 
you  would  leave  it  with  regret,  but  still  entirely  satisfied 
that  nothing  would  be  left  undone  to  secure  its  happiness  ; 
and  this,  together  with  the  hope  and  expectation  of 
rejoining  it,  in  a  few  days  or  weeks,  would  make  you 
comparatively  resigned.  Now  are  you  not  as  willing  to 
trust  its  Heavenly  Parent?  The  child  was  his.  He 
gave  it  to  you  for  a  short  space,  and  has  only  taken  it 
again.  He  is  not  only  more  disposed  than  its  earthly 
parent  to  take  good  care  of  the  child,  but  he  is  infinitely 
more  able.  Whatever  is  best  for  its  welfare  he  certainly 
knows  and  will  certainly  do.  And  however  long  the  se- 
paration may  now  seem  to  you,  when  you  rejoin  your 
child  in  heaven,  it  will  appear  to  have  been  very  short. 
I  remember  to  liave  read,  and  greatly  admired,  a  piece  of 
poetry  on  this  subject,  when  a  very  small  boy.  It  was 
called  "  The  Gardiner  and  the  Rose  Tree,"  and  written 
by  a  Mr.  Pierce,  a  Baptist  minister  of  England.  It  be- 
gan : 

"  In  a  sweet  spot,  which  wisdom  chose, 
Grew  a  unique  and  lovely  Rose,"  &c. 

I  read  it  in  an  old  magazine,  but  afterwards  saw  it  in  the 
"  Memoirs  of  Mr.  Pierce."  I  think  if  you  will  get  it, 
you  will  find  it  affording  you  much  consolation  in  the 
perusal.  The  "  Memoirs"  may  be  found,  I  should  sup- 
pose, with  almost  any  well-informed  Baptist  minister,  but 
if  not,  I  suspect  mother  knows  the  piece  by  memory,  and 
can  write  it  down  for  you.  Or,  perhaps,  you  are  already 
acquainted  with  it.  But,  my  dear  sister,  the  best  source 


58  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

to  look  for  assistance  to  enable  us  to  bear  up  under  our 
bereavements,  is  an  Almighty  Saviour.  When  he  afflicts 
it  is  for  our  good,  and  to  prepare  us  the  better  for  his 
presence  in  eternity.  When  you  shall  have  arrived  at 
heaven,  you  will  then  find  this  very  stroke  under  which 
you  mourn,  was  necessary  to  prepare  you  for  your  pre- 
sent enjoyment.  Say,  then,  and  say  from  the  heart,  "  It 
is  well  with  the  child,"  "  It  is  well  with  the  mother." 
Do  write  to  me  when  your  husband  next  writes  ;  not  in 
the  same  sheet  I  do  not  mean.  May  an  Almighty  Sa- 
viour comfort  and  console  you  in  this,  your  day  of  afflic- 
tion. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J.,  Feb.  20,  1833. 

MY  DEAR  SISTERS   SlBYL  AND  ELIZABETH, 

It  will,  indeed,  be  a  mysterious  Providence,  if 
Satan  is  so  soon  again  permitted  to  triumph  over  our  be- 
loved father  ;  but  we  know  that,  though  mysterious,  it  is 
all  done  in  wisdom.  Those  that  will  inherit  the  kingdom, 
must  do  it  through  much  tribulation.  All  these  things 
shall  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  believe.  If 
father  is  to  be  so  severely  tried,  the  rest  of  heaven  will 
be  the  sweeter.  If  God  now  hides  his  face,  his  presence 
will  appear  the  more  glorious  in  heaven.  And  let  us  all, 
my  dear  sisters,  profit  by  the  visitation  of  judgment. 
Let  us  humble  ourselves  before  our  Heavenly  Father  as 
he  chastiseth  us.  How  much  lighter  are  his  strokes 
than  our  guilt !  And  in  the  midst  of  afflictions  how  many 
blessings  does  he  bestow ! 

For  myself,  I  would  record  it  to  the  praise  and  the 
glory  of  my  Redeemer,  that  for  the  last  month,  or  more, 
I  have  been  favoured  with  much  of  his  presence ,  his 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  59 

loving  kindness  has  been  most  abundant  towards  me. 
When  I  think  of  his  surpassing  goodness,  and  of  my 
continual  ingratitude,  I  am  astonished  and  confounded. 
Though  I  find  myself  every  day  and  every  hour  grieving 
his  spirit  and  provoking  him  to  anger,  yet  I  find  him 
still  pursuing  me  with  mercies.  When  I  have  provoked 
him  to  hide  his  face  from  me,  as  soon  as  I  humble  myself 
before  him,  he  smiles  and  forgives.  Oh,  what  a  Sa- 
viour !  And  what  a  vile,  ungrateful  wretch  am  I  that  can 
ever  treat  him  with  neglect. 

I  hope,  my  dear  sisters,  you  find  yourselves  making 
constant  advances  in  a  holy  life.  You  have  seen  but 
little  of  this  world,  but  you  have  seen  all.  It  has  no  good 
to  bestow.  Delusive,  vain,  and  transitory,  it  cheats  the 
soul  that  fastens  upon  it,  of  real  and  permanent  enjoy 
ment  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus.  Let  us  forsaka 
it  then,  ere  it  forsakes  us,  and  garner  up  our  affections 
where  they  will  be  secure. 

Nor  yet  do  I  mean  that  we  should  indulge  in  despon- 
dency. Even  this  world,  if  rightly  used,  can  minister  hap- 
piness to  the  mind.  It  is  the  "  handy  work"  of  God.  It  is  a 
glorious  manifestation  of  his  wisdom  and  goodness.  As 
such,  the  Christian  should  view  it.  It  is  not  his  home, 
it  was  not  meant  for  such  ;  but,  it  is  a  tarrying  place, 
where  many  refreshments  abound,  until  we  reach  our 
home  in  the  skies.  "  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  always,"  said 
David ;  and  why  should  not  the  Christian  rejoice  ?  Let 
him  keep  humble,  as  it  respects  himself ;  but  let  him  tri- 
umph and  make  his  boast  in  God  his  Saviour.  Cheerful 
and  contented  let  him  live  in  the  performance  of  every 
duty,  singing,  as  he  journeys  through  life, 

"  We'll  praise  thee  for  thy  mercies  past 
And  humbly  hope  for  more." 


60  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

The  way  for  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  to  come  to  Zion, 
is  "with  songs  and  everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads." 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

In  April  of  this  year  he  received  license  to  preach  the 
gospel,  from  the  second  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 
Some  months  of  the  summer  were  passed  in  preaching 
at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and  as  a  temporary  supply  at 
the  Spring  Street  Church,  New  York.  While  at  the 
latter  place,  the  tidings  of  the  death  of  his  father  reached 
him.  On  that  occasion  he  wrote  to  the  several  members 
of  the  family,  as  follows, 

New  York,  August  19th,  1833. 

MY  DEAR,  DEAR  MOTHER, 

What  shall  I  say  to  you  ?  How  shall  I  at- 
tempt to  console  you,  under  the  afflicting  hand  of  Provi- 
dence ? — Dear  mother,  "  It  is  the  Lord — let  Him  do 
what  seemeth  Him  good."  Mother,  cannot  you  say  so  ? 
Even  now,  when  the  hand  of  God  is  most  heavily  laid 
upon  you,  cannot  you  kiss  the  hand'that  smites  ?  Your 
husband  sleeps  the  sleep  of  death,  but  mother,  your  Re- 
deemer liveth,  and  has  he  not  said  to  your  dear  departed 
husband,  and  is  he  not  saying  to  you,  "  Because  I  live, 
ye  shall  live  also."  For  my  dear  father,  I  have  no  doubt 
that  it  is  well  with  him.  He  was  a  Christian — his 
whole  life,  but  especially  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life, 
evinced  it.  God  has  dealt  mysteriously  with  him — but 
I  doubt  not  he  is  now  singing,  a  glorified  spirit  before 
His  throne.  And  why,  then,  should  you  mourn  ?  Mo 
ther,  can't  you  trust  God  ?  Blessed  be  His  name,  tha* 
you  have  long  since  learned  to  trust  Him,  and  He  has 
never  disappointed  you.  He  has  been  your  Friend, 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  61 

and  now  He  will  enter  into  a  still  more  endearing  rela- 
tion towards  you.  Thy  Maker  shall  be  thy  Husband. 

Had  God  taken  your  husband  from  you,  without  leav- 
ing you  any  hope  of  his  future  blessedness,  how  much 
more  cause  for  grief  would  you  have  had  then,  than  now. 
And  so  I  might  find  ten  thousand  reasons  why  you  should 
not  mourn  the  exit  of  your  husband  ;  but  these  and  such 
like,  would  rather  convince  the  judgment,  than  affect  the 
heart.  After  all,  the  gospel,  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of 
God,  with  all  its  glorious  hopes,  its  rich  promises,  and 
its  bright  anticipations,  can  alone  minister  true  consola- 
tion under  circumstances  such  as  yours.  To  these  con- 
solations, my  dear  mother,  you  are  no  stranger.  He  has 
delivered  thee  in  six  troubles,  and  now,  in  this  seventh 
and  greatest,  he  will  not  forsake  thee. 

And,  mother,  the  time  is  short.  You  will  soon  join 
your  husband  in  Heaven — your  three  sons  you  will 
meet  there  too.  It  may  be  that  more  of  your  children 
may  precede  you — and  it  matters  not — so  that  they  are 
prepared  to  go,  the  sooner  God  takes  them  from  an  evil 
world,  the  better  for  them.  But  for  you,  dear  mother,  I 
cannot  doubt  that  a  bright  crown  awaits  you,  when  you 
shall  enter  the  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  And  in  the 
midst  of  your  bereavements,  let  it  console  you,  that  you 
have  faithfully  performed  the  part  of  a  wife  and  a  mo- 
ther. How  often  have  I  heard  my  dear  father  say, 
"  Never  had  a  man  such  a  wife  as  I  have  ;"  and  I  am 
sure  all  your  children  will  unite  with  me,  in  saying,  never 
had  children  a  better  mother.  From  my  heart  do  I  feel 
this  ;  and  now  I  have  to  say,  that  I  hold  myself  bound  to 
devote  my  life  to  minister  to  the  comfort  of  my  dear,  dear 
widowed  mother.  I  shall  write  to  Joseph  more  particu- 
larly on  this  subject.  May  God  comfort  you,  my  mo- 
ther, may  His  grace  console  you  in  your  afflictions,  an* 
6 


62  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

may  He  a  thousand-fold  compensate   your  loss  in  the 
more  abundant  enjoyment  of  Himself. 

Your  most  affectionate  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 


New  York,  August  19th,  1833. 

MY  DEAR  SISTERS  SlBYL  AND  ELIZABETH,  AND  MY  DBA* 

BROTHER  JOHN. 

DEAR  SISTERS  AND  BROTHER, 

We  are  orphans.  God  has  taken  from  us,  and 
I  doubt  not,  to  himself,  our  dear  and  honoured  father 
After  a  life  of  many  vicissitudes,  and  much  and  varied 
suffering,  he  has  laid  down  to  rest  in  the  tomb.  It  is  • 
heavy  stroke  to  us  all — but  to  him,  as  we  hope  and  be- 
lieve, the  end  of  all  his  sorrows,  and  all  his  pains.  A 
sweet  release  from  care  and  disquietude,  and  an  intro- 
duction to  mansions  of  blessedness.  Why,  then,  should 
we  mourn  ?  Rather  let  us  give  God  thanks  that  He  so 
long  continued  to  us  the  example  and  the  prayers  of 
such  a  father.  To  you,  my  dear  sisters,  I  can  speak  of 
the  consolations  and  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  under 
our  present  afflictions.  I  can  bid  you  listen  to  the  voice 
of  the  compassionate  Saviour,  as  he  says,."  Mourners, 
dry  your  tears.  It  is  I,  be  not  afraid.  What  I  have  done 
is  all  for  your  good.  Though  you  see  it  not  now,  yet 
you  shall  hereafter."  If  our  faith,  my  dear  sisters,  is  of 
the  right  kind,  we  shall  not  only  know  that  for  this  very 
dispensation  of  God's  providence,  we  shall  hereafter 
praise  him,  but  we  shall  begin  our  song  of  assured  grati- 
tude even  now.  We  shall  not  only  yield  a  cold  assent 
to  the  words  of  David,  but  we  shall  adopt  them  from  the 
heart,  "  Before  I  was  afflicted,  I  went  astray,  but  now 
I  learn  to  keep  thy  law — it  is  good  for  me  to  be  afflicted.' 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  63 

A  letter  from  brother  Joseph  informed  me  of  the  sad 
breach  made  in  the  family,  and  also  that  my  two  dear 
sisters  are  much  affected  by  it.  My  dear  sisters,  I  sym- 
pathize with  you,  in  all  your  griefs  ;  I,  too,  have  lost  a 
father — a  dear,  an  honoured  father  ;  one  to  whom  I  am 
indebted  more  than  I  shall  ever  know,  till  I  stand  with 
him  at  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.  His  prayers,  his 
faithful  warnings  and  reproofs  we  have  together  shared, 
and  together  are  we  deprived  of  them.  But  it  is  wrong 
to  mourn  excessively.  And  I  would  not,  if  I  could,  this 
day,  recall  our  dear  departed  father.  No  ;  let  him  sleep 
in  peace,  in  the  tomb  where  his  Saviour  laid  before  him  ; 
a  tomb,  in  whose  dark  vault  the  lamp  of  Christian  hope 
shines  brightly.  There  let  him  sleep — the  servant  of 
God  who  has  finished  his  work — until  the  God  whom,  in 
his  life  he  served,  shall  come  to  waken  him,  and  call  him 
to  the  skies.  Weep  not  then,  my  sisters,  weep  not,  for 
it  is  well  with  our  father.  Blessed  be  God,  we  can  sav 
and  believe,  it  is  well. 

For  you,  my  dear  brother  John,  you  would  not  hear 
our  father  while  living,  will  you  not  hear  him,  as  he 
speaks  from  the  grave,  "  My  son,  give  God  thine  heart." 
Oh,  my  dear  brother,  live  no  longer  without  an  interest 
in  Christ,  for  fear  that  the  separation  which  has  now 
taken  place  between  you  and  your  father,  shall  be  eter- 
nal. You  will  no  longer  share  in  his  prayers — the  last 
prayer  of  your  father  for  your  soul  has  gone  up  to  heaven, 
and  yet  you  are  not  converted.  My  brother^I  tremble 
for  the  fate  of  your  immortal  soul.  Oh,  hear  the  voice 
of  our  dear  father,  as  it  cries  to  you  from  the  ground, 
"  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time,  behold,  now  is  the 
day  of  salvation."  If  I  have  not  forgotten,  you  may  read 
these  words  on  the  tomb  stone  of  our  dear  grandfather. 
He  was  buried  the  day  you  were  a  year  old.  There  lie 


64  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

father,  son,  and  how  soon  another  grandson,  ever*  you, 
my  brother,  may  sleep  by  their  side,  God  only  knows. 
Be  ready,  I  entreat  you. 

I  commend  you,  my  dear  sisters  and  brother,  to  God, 
and  to  his  grace,  who  can  do  for  you  all  that  you  need 
in  your  present  afflictions.  Write  to  me,  all  of  you,  as 
soon  as  you  receive  this. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

* 

New  York,  August  26th,  1833. 

MY  DEAT  BROTHER  OwEN, 

I  had  intended  to  write  you  sooner,  but  circum- 
stances have  prevented.  Nor  do  I  now  know  where  to 
direct  my  letter,  but  shall,  at  a  venture,  send  it  to  China. 

It  was  indeed,  my  dear  brother,  sad  news  that  awaited 
you  on  your  return  home.  How  little  did  we  anticipate 
such  an  event  when  we  parted.  The  ways  of  Provi- 
dence are,  truly,  most  inscrutable,  but  they  are,  neverthe- 
less, all  wrought  in  infinite  wisdom.  It  is  well,  my  dear 
brother,  for  God  doeth  all  things  well.  .  And  what  we 
know  not  now,  we  shall  know  hereafter. 

The  day  is  soon  coming,  when  we  shall  stand,  along 
with  our  dear,  departed  father,  at  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ ;  and  then  shall  we  learn  why  we  have  been  thus 
dealt  with,  in  this  afflictive  dispensation  of  Providence. 

But  my  dear  brother,  there  is  one  improvement  we 
ought  to  make  of  it,  that  must  appear  obvious  to  us  all. 
And  that  is,  to  consider  it  as  a  loud  call  to  each  one  of 
us,  to  be  ready.  Our  work  must  be  finished — our  souls 
must  be  saved — since  the  night  soon  cometh  when  no 
man  can  work.  Our  dear  father  has  finished  his,  and 
gone  to  his  rest.  One  brother — nay  three,  and  one  of 
them  by  the  name  of  Owen — went  before  him  ;  and  now, 


PEV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  65 

brother,  can  you  tell  when  you  and  I  shall  be  called  to 
follow  him  ? 

My  dear  brother,  permit  me  most  earnestly  and  affec 
tionately,  to  exhort  you  to  give  good  heed  to  the  warn 
ing  voice,  which  now  calls  to  you  from  your  father'* 
grave.  Hear  it  saying  to  you,  "  My  prayers,  which  have 
been  constantly  ascending  for  you  since  you  was  born, 
are  now  forever  ceased — I  cannot  any  more  advise,  in- 
struct, exhort,  or  warn  you,  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come — I  gave  you  to  God,  in  covenant,  according  to  his 
commands  ;  these  vows,  and  these  obligations  I  have  left 
resting  upon  your  head.  My  cares,  my  watchings,  and 
my  labours  for  your  soul's  salvation,  are  now  ended,  and 
while  I  go  to  the  bar  of  God  to  render  up  my  account,  I 
leave  you  unconverted."  Oh,  my  brother,  though  our 
dear  father's  life  failed  to  convert  you,  shall  not  his  death 
accomplish  it  ?  Will  you  not  hear  him  now,  though  you 
have  hitherto  neglected  to  hear  him  1  Could  I  now  be 
with  you,  my  brother,  I  would  take  you  to  the  tomb  of 
our  father,  and  there  kneeling  on  the  green  sod  that 
covers  his  dear  remains,  I  would  entreat  you  to  make 
haste  and  be  at  peace  with  God,  through  faith  and  re- 
pentance, and  a  belief  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faith 
in  him,  can  look  beyond  the  tomb,  can  pierce  the  dark- 
ness that  rests  upon  the  grave,  and  behold  the  soul,  dart- 
ing upward,  with  the  speed  of  light,  to  the  throne  of  God. 
there  to  hear  its  doom,  and  enter  upon  its  destined  abode 
for  eternity.  Oh,  my  brother,  my  brother,  prepare  to 
meet  thy  God. 

I  greatly  long  to  hear  from  my  dear  mother,  and  my 
sisters.  I  hope  and  pray  that  they  have  found  grace 
equal  to  their  day.  Joseph  informed  me  that  mother  was 
wonderfully  supported  ;  for  which  I  thank  God.  Grace 
can  accomplish  any  thing.  Even  out  of  this  most  trying 
6* 


PO  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

affliction  to  the  family,  it  can  create  cause  for  thankful- 
ness to  us  all,  throughout  eternity. 

I  wish  that  it  was  in  my  power,  consistently  with 
duty,  to  come  down  and  see  "  home"  once  more,  but  I 
think  the  indications  of  Providence  are  such  as  forbid  it. 
They  are  impatiently  calling  me  to  the  West,  and  to  the 
West  I  must  go.  I  have  some  hopes  that  Joseph  will 
come  on  here,  so  that  I  can  see  him,  before  long.  I  am 
tolerably  well — am  doing  good,  I  hope.  Give  my  love 
to  dear  mother  and  sisters,  and  to  brother  John.  Finally, 
my  dear  brother,  farewell ;  and  may  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  your  spirit. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY 


CHAPTER  VI. 

As  intimated  in  the  close  of  the  letter  inserted  in  the 
last  chapter,  our  brother  set  his  face  again  to  the  West 
He  had  been  requested,  and  strongly  urged,  by  a  circle 
of  Christian  friends  at  St.  Louis,  to  return  there  and  be- 
come the  editor  of  a  religious,  weekly  paper.  The  friends 
of  the  object  at  that  place  furnished  a  capital  of  twelve 
hundred  dollars  for  press,  type,  &c.  From  the  instru- 
ment now  before  us,  executed  by  the  parties,  the  editor 
was  to  have  the  entire  control  of  the  establishment,  with 
the  right  to  mortgage  the  same,  for  the  purpose,  if  neces- 
sary, of  enlarging  the  "  materials  for  printing."  If, 
moreover,  the  nett  income  of  the  establishment  should 
exceed  five  hundred  dollars  a  year,  the  editor  was  to  pay 
the  surplus  to  the  proprietors. 

In  pursuance  of  this  arrangement,  on  the  22nd  of  No- 
vember, 1833,  the  first  number  of  the  "  ST.  Louis  OBSER- 
VBR"  was  issued. 

The  first  editorial  article  is  here  inserted. 

St.  Louis,  Nov.  22 d,  1833. 

"  The  first  number  of  the  Observer  appears  to  day. 
We  send  it  forth  with  our  most  cordial  greetings  to  all 
its  expecting  friends,  and  with  the,  hope  that  it  will  suc- 
ceed in  obtaining  the  good  will  of  all  before  whom  it 
may  appear.  It  comes  with  no  sinister  motive,  it  ap- 
peals to  no  bad  passion  ;  and  it  asks  a  welcome  in  every 
home  that  in  a  spirit  of  meekness  it  may  plead  the 
cause  of  Him  who  came  from  heaven  to  proclaim  '  peace 


68  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

on  earth,  and  good  will  toward  men.'  Where  it  cannot 
be  admitted  on  these  terms,  it  will  pass  quietly  by,  nei- 
ther feeling  nor  expressing  aught  of  unkindness  or  re- 
proach. And,  however  often,  or  with  whatever  words 
of  contumely,  it  may  be  rejected  from  the  door  of  any 
dwelling,  it  will  still  be  ready  to  return  upon  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  more  hospitable  feelings,  on  the  part  of  its  in- 
mates. For  it  will  ever  be  ready  to  practice  on  the  maxim 
it  will  unceasingly  inculcate  upon  others  ;  to  forgive  one 
another  as  our  Heavenly  Father  has  also  forgiven  us. 

But  while  the  Observer  will  thus  seek  to  win  its  way 
to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  men,  by  the  kindness  of 
the  sentiments  it  breathes,  it  will  not  temporize  as  it  goes. 
Truth  is  its  object — divine  truth  in  all  its  severity,  as  well 
as  loveliness.  To  ascertain  this,  to  free  it  from  the  gloss- 
es of  men,  and  then  press  it  home  to  the  bosoms  of  its 
readers,  as  of  practical  and  infinite  importance,  will  al- 
ways make  a  part  of  its  weekly  labours.  It  will  seek 
no  controversy,  and  it  will  decline  none,  when  by  so  do- 
ing it  might  compromise  the  purity  of  that  '  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints.'  It  will  hold  itself  aloof  from 
all  angry  discussions  which  may  arise  between  brethren 
of  the  same  sect,  or  of 'different  sects,  who  can  yet  unite 
in  glorying  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  other  than  to  counsel 
peace  and  forbearance.  But  though  actuated  with  the 
best  feelings  towards  all,  of  whatsoever  name,  who  love 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Observer  will,  nevertheless, 
have  a  course  of  its  own — a  system  of  religious  doc- 
trines to  which  it  will  inflexibly  adhere.  What  that  is, 
will  soon  more  plainly  appear,  in  the  course  of  its  week- 
ly visits.  But  we  may  here  say,  in  brief,  that  it  will  be 
the  same  as  that  which  Paul  preached — the  same,  in  sub- 
stance, as  that  which  Luther  and  Calvin  rescued  from 
the  corruptions  of  men — the  same  as  Edwards  explain- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  69 

ed  and  defended — the  same  as  now  obtains,  in  all  its  dis- 
tinctive features,  among  the  great  body  of  orthodox  Chris- 
tians in  our  land. 

While,  therefore,  the  Observer  proffers  the  most  cordi- 
al salutations  to,  and  claims  Christian  fellowship  with, 
all  who  can  adopt  the  sentiment  of  its  motto,  as  constitu- 
ting their  religion,  and  the  whole  of  their  religion,  it  will 
studiously  avoid  giving  occasion  of  offence  to  any.  Peace 
will  be  its  aim,  as  far  as  that  is  consistent  with  the  defence 
of  the  Truth.  Yet  it  will  never  shrink  from  the  post  of 
duty  ;  nor  fear  to  speak  out  lest  some  over  sensitive  ears 
should  be  pained.  Opinions  honestly  entertained  will  be 
fearlessly  declared  ;  and  but  little  regard  will  be  felt  or 
expressed  for  any  systen  of  faith  or  practice,  which  rests 
mainly  for  its  support  upon  the  traditions  of  men,  or  upon 
the  equally  equivocal  authority  of  long  prescription. 

One  leading  object  of  the  Observer  will  be  to  diffuse 
information  concerning  the  religious  operations  of  the  day, 
among  Christians  and  other  citzens  of  the  West.  In  the 
Christian  world  it  is  a  time  of  movement.  The  messen- 
ger of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  has  been  heard  as  he  passed 
along  through  the  borders  of  the  Church,  calling  upon  her 
to  come  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty. 
Nor  has  the  call  passed  unheeded.  In  afl  ranks  the 
Church  is  in  motion.  She  is  mustering  her  hosts  for  the 
conquest,  not  of  this  or  that  petty  kingdom  or  province, 
but  of  the  WORLD.  Her  heralds  precede  her,  and  even 
now  they  are  running  to  and  fro  over  all  the  earth,  to  pro 
claim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord.  Wherever  she 
comes  it  is  to  set  the  bondman  free,  to  break  the  chains 
of  the  oppressor,  and  to  open  the  prison  doors  of  the  cap- 
tive. She  comes  to  dissipate  the  glooms  of  superstition, 
which  have,  for  so  many  ages,  rested  upon  the  fairest  por- 
tions of  the  globe,  to  pour  in  light  upon  the  '  dark  places 


70  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

of  the  earth  which  are  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruel- 
ty,' to  rescue  a  lost  race  from  the  ruins  of  the  fall,  and 
restore  it  to  the  favour  of  its  God.  In  this  godlike  enter- 
prise the  Church  is  now  engaged — for  this  her  prayers  are 
ascending — to  this  her  energies  are  directed,  and  in  this 
she  will  assuredly  triumph.  Already  her  standard  floats 
triumphantly  over  many  a  strong  hold  conquered  from  the 
enemies  of  her  God.  On  the  Isles  of  the  Pacific — on 
the  shores  of  Greenland — on  the  coasts  of  China  and 
Siam — on  the  shores  of  Hither  India,  and  far  up  into  her 
broad  interior — on  the  plains  of  Africa,  the  sunny  isles 
of  Greece,  and  the  snows  of  Lapland  and  Caucasus, 
she  has  planted  the  Cross  of  her  Redeemer,  the  sign,  and 
the  instrument  of  salvation  to  the  sin  stricken  nations. 
That  cross,  wherever  thus  erected,  shall  never  fall.  The 
Church  is  pledged  to  sustain  it ;  and  in  fulfilling  that 
pledge,  she  takes  hold  of  the  arm  of  her  omnipotent  Sa- 
viour." 

We  shall  here  give  large  extracts  from  the  successive 
numbers,  that  the  American  public,  and  all  the  world 
may  know,  what  were  the  sentiments,  and  what  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  were  expressed,  for  which  our  brother 
was,  in  the  process  of  time,  cruelly  persecuted  ;  and,  for 
conscientiously  holding  fast  to  which,  he  was  finally  MUR 
DERED.  If,  in  these  sentiments,  or  in  the  manner  of 
expressing  them,  there  is  aught  worthy  of  death,  as  he 
did  not  refuse  to  die,  so  we  will  not  ask  that  his  name  and 
character  be  saved  from  reproach,  or  his  memory  from 
oblivion.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  these  are  the  truths  on 
which  society  is  based,  which  God  has  published  to  the 
world,  and  which  Christ  has  sanctioned  with  his  own 
blood ;  if  there  is  much  of  the  spirit  of  him,  "  who, 
when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again,"  in  the  manner 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  71 

in  which  these  truths  are  expressed ;  then  we  ask  you 
not  to  believe,  in  some  cases  his  misinformed,  and  in 
others  his  malicious  slanderers.  Still  farther, — we  ask 
you  not  to  cease  calling  hi  justice,  till  she  return  in  her 
strength,  majesty,  and  purity,  with  her  robes  washed  from 
the  stains  of  innocent  blood  shed  at  Alton. 


MISCELLANEOUS  EDITORIAL  ARTICLES  FROM  THE 
ST.  Louis  OBSERVER. 

WHAT  IS  TRUTH  ? 

"  IT  is  strange  that  what,  more  than  all  things  else,  it 
concerns  mankind  to  know,  what  was  expressly  design- 
ed for  their  benefit,  and  what  by  their  all  wise  Creator 
they  were  expressly  fitted  to  receive,  should  yet  be  the 
very  thing  with  which  they  are  the  least  acquainted. 
Truth,  though  professedly  the  object  of  search  to  all, 
is  confessedly  apprehended  by  but  few.  And  even  these 
do  but  catch  distant  and  uncertain  views  of  its  light ;  as 
when  a  star  is  seen  through  the  fitful  changes  of  the 
intervening  cloud.  Even  as  they  behold  they  tremble 
lest  it  shall  vanish  from  their  sight,  and  be  lost  in  the 
gathering  gloom. 

The  reason  of  this  must  be,  either  that  we  have  not 
the  faculties  for  perceiving  truth,  or  that  having,  we  have 
perverted  them.  The  first,  as  it  would  be  a  reflection 
upon  either  the  goodness  or  wisdom  of  God  or  both, 
cannot  for  a  moment  be  admitted,  and  there  remains  the 
only  alternative,  that  we  have  carelessly  or  willfully  gone 
wrong  in  our  search  for  the  truth.  And  this  is  just  the 
ground  on  which  the  Bible  places  it,  '  Seeing,  men  see 
not,  and  hearing  they  do  not  understand.' 


72  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Sometimes  we  make  up  for  ourselves  a  system  of  me- 
taphysics— we  arrange  to  our  taste  or  our  caprice,  the 
faculties  of  the  mind,  and  the  modes  of  its  action,  and 
whatever  of  divine  truth  does  not  suit  our  scheme — 
which,  as  it  has  cost  much  labour  of  thought,  is,  of  course, 
a  cherished  bantling — we  reject,  or  at  best,  those  sharp 
points,  that  interfere  with  the  organized  movements  of 
our  moral  machinery,  we  carefully  cover  up.  We  have 
been  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Berkeley  or  Locke  or  Hume, 
and  thence  we  bring  our  standard,  by  which  to  measure 
the  doctrines  of  the  Cross,  and  the  revealed  will  of  God 
How  often  has  Plato  gotten  into  the  sacred  desk  and 
crowded  out  Paul,  or  at  most,  permitted  the  Apostle  a 
word  of  exhortation  after  the  Metaphysician  had  sermon- 
ized his  full  hour. — Which  exhortation,  indeed,  was 
about  as  consonant  to  the  sermon,  as  the  new  piece  of 
cloth  sewed  upon  the  ragged  garment — in  both  cases  the 
whole  was  made  a  piece  of  parti-colored  patch-work. 

Sometimes,  having  been  educated  in  great  reverence 
for  the  names  and  opinions  of  certain  men,  and  an  ab- 
horrence for  those  of  others  ;  at  every  step  we  take  in 
our  search  for  truth,  we  tremble  lest  we  shall  have  part- 
ed company  from  those  we  love  and  reverence,  and  have 
entered  upon  the  premises  of  those  we  both  fear  and  dis- 
like. When  in  such  a  mood,  it  is  wonderful  what  a  magic 
there  is  in  the  mere  sound  of  a  name.  To  be  told  that 
if  we  go  on,  we  shall  soon  cease  to  have  a  right  to  be 
distinguished  by  this  or  that  appellation,  will  bring  us 
to  a  halt  at  once.  Then  it  is,  too,  that  we  apply  the 
same  concise  and  conclusive  argument  to  others.  You 
area  '  Calvinist,'  an  'Arminian,'  or  a  'Pelagian,'  as  the 
case  may  be ;  and  those  whom  such  an  argument  fails  to 
convince,  are  indeed  incorrigible — we  give  them  over  to 
blindness  of  mind. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  73 

Sometimes — and  it  is  the  last  case  we  shall  put — we 
are  so  tremblingly  alive  lest  others  may  fall  into  error 
that  we  have  no  time  to  search  out  the  truth  for  ourselves. 
We  get.  up  on  the  watch  tower,  and  spend  the  whole  day 
in  casting  our  nervous,  feverish  glance  around,  in  the 
eager  expectation  of  seeing  some  one,  whom  we  may 
warn  of  his  fate,  about  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  ; 
and,  of  course,  have  no  time  to  examine  whether  they 
may  not  be  nearer  us  than  them,  and  even  undermining 
the  very  pillars  on  which  we  stand.  At  such  a  time  we 
are  almost  sure  to  see  multiplied  danger,  either  real  or 
apparent.  Either  our  wishes  become  the  father  to  our 
thoughts,  or  as  in  the  natural,  so  in  the  moral,  our  eye 
sight  is  strained  till  we  see  double  ;  mole  hills  swelling 
into  mountains,  and  men  looking  like  trees  walking, 

'  Till  Birnam  forest  come  to  Dunsinane.' 

Of,  at  best,  as  we  are  a  voluntary  watcher,  even  though 
we  succeed  in  descrying  no  approaching  evil,  AVC  shall 
still  have  a  strong  temptation  to  lift  up  our  voices  and  cry 
aloud,  lest  those  within  the  walls  suspect  us  of  sleeping 
at  our  post,  or  as  wanting  in  alacrity  and  zeal. 

Such  is  but  a  specimen  of  the  difficulties  that  attend 
us  in  our  search  after  truth.  But,  for  these  and  all  others 
we  know  of  but  one  and  the  same  remedy — a  determi- 
nation to  think  independently,  untrammelled,  by  the  dog- 
mas of  Philosophy  or  the  logic  of  the  Schools,  and  then 
an  humble,  diligent,  prayerful  perusal  of  the  Word  of 

God." 

7 


74  MEMOIR  OF  THE 


f  THE  PAST  YEAR. 

January  2d,  1834. 

"  ANOTHER  year  has  gone.  Another  of  those  periods, 
thirty  of  which  mark  the  duration  of  a  generation  of 
mankind,  has  passed,  bearing  with  it  into  eternity  and 
to  the  bar  of  God,  30,000,000  of  the  human  family. 
Could  we  read  the  private  history  of  these  thirty  mil- 
lions just  removed  to  be  here  no  more  forever,  what 
an  instructive  lesson  would  it  teach.  Some  just  open- 
ed their  eyes  upon  the  light,  and  then  closed  them 
forever.  Some  had  just  learned  to  return  the  maternal 
embrace,  and  to  look,  in  their  playful  moods,  into  the 
mother's  beaming  eyes  for  approval,  when  Death  came 
and  took  them  to  the  grave.  Others,  for  the  first  time, 
had  gone  out  into  the  world,  and  with  all  the  emo- 
tions that  unbounded  surprise  and  delight  can  give,  were 
gazing  upon  the  scene  before  them.  There  Hope  was 
weaving  her  gayest  tissues,  and  hanging  garlands  ot  joy 
on  every  object ;  there  Beauty  wore  her  brightest  robes, 
and  as  she  moved  in  conscious  pride,  turned  often  to  be- 
stow her  sweetest  smiles  upon  Love  that  followed  in  her 
train.  Alas  !  'twas  but  a  dream,  and  even  as  he  stands, 
the  film  is  gathering  upon  his  eye,  that  will  shut  the 
scene  from  his  sight  forever.  In  the  greenness  of  his 
years  and  the  first  freshness  of  his  hopes  he  fell,  and 
these  scenes  of  delight  are  exchanged  for  a  vision  of  the 
charnel  house  and  the  tomb  ! 

And  even  the  man  of  middle  age,  whose  hopes  had 
been  sobered  and  his  anticipations  chastened  by  unnum- 
bered disappointments,  even  his  path  to  the  grave  was 
strewed  with  the  wrecks  of  many  a  cherished  scheme  of 
self-aggrandizement,  which  yet  he  had  fondly  thought 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  75 

would  have  secured  to  him  the  end  of  his  toil.  On  yon- 
der hill  he  sleeps,  buried  beneath  the  ruins  of  the  tem- 
ple he  had  erected  to  Pride,  to  Avarice,  or  to  Vanity. 
And  yet  his  posterity  approve  his  sayings  and  are  walk- 
ing in  his  footsteps. 

He,  too,  whom  the  weight  of  years  had  bowed  to  the 
earth, 'whose  strength  had  so  far  departed  that  the  bur- 
den of  life  could  scarcely  be  supported,  he  was  surprised 
in  the  midst  of  plans  that  looked  for  their  accomplish- 
ment far  into  the  future.  Though  the  wheel  had  long 
moved  slowly  at  the  cistern,  he  had  not  thought  it  would 
stop  so  soon. 

Yet  not  such  is  the  history  of  all  whom  the  year 
through  which  we  have  just  passed,  has  removed  from 
this  world.  Some  there  were  who  had  long  waited  to 
be  gone,  knowing  that  for  them  to  live  was  Christ,  but  to 
die  was  gain.  To  some  the  year  has  brought  a  blessed 
relief  from  long  continued  sickness,  from  poverty,  from 
unmerited  obloquy,  from  oppression,  and  especially  from 
their  warfare  with  sin — the  garb  of  poverty  has  been 
exchanged  for  garments  of  light,  the  '  world's  dread 
laugh, '  for  the  approving  smile  of  their  Redeemer,  and 
the  darkness  and  doubt  of  earth  for  the  full  tide  of 
light  and  truth  that  flows  from  the  Throne  of  God  and 
of  the  Lamb.  For  them  Death  had  no  terrors,  the  grave 
no  gloom.  They  entered  its  gates  with  smiling  counte  • 
nances,  and  as  they  laid  themselves  down  in  Death's  em-, 
brace  sang  with  assured  joy  the  triumphant  song,  '  O 
death,  where  is  thy  sting,  O  grave,  where  is  thy  vic- 
tory !'  There  let  them  rest.  Their  tomb  is  not  dark  ! 
No  ;  Like  the  Vestals  of  old,  Faith  has  lit  her  lamp 
from  heaven,  and  gone  down  to  watch  over  their  sleep- 
ing dust.  Her  light  irradiates  even  the  darkness  of  the 
tomb.  Nor  will  she  leave  her  post  till  He  who  once 


76  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

slept  in  the  grave  shall  come  to  waken  them  from  their 
repose  and  take  them  to  that  heaven  whither  he  has  as- 
eended.  They  died  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  they 
will  rise  to  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 

Such  is  the  lesson  which  the  last  year  affords,  and 
which  we,  who  have  lived  through  it,  are  permitted  to 
read.  It  is  a  lesson  full  of  instruction  and  practical  wis- 
dom. And  how  sad  the  reflection  that  few,  comparative- 
ly, will  profit  by  it — that,  as  in  the  past,  so  in  the  com- 
ing year,  the  multitude  will  still  continue  to  pervert  the 
right  ways  of  the  Lord,  till,  tired  with  the  pursuits  of 
shadows,  the  year  now  begun  shall  witness  many  of 
them  end  without  hope,  a  life  employed  t&  no  pur- 
pose. 

Let  us  all,  then,  who  would  avoid  a  catastrophe*  so  de- 
plorable, adopt  the  prayer  which  the  pious  man  of  old  ad- 
dressed to  his  Maker  :  '  So  teach  us  to  number  our 
days  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts  unto  wisdom.' " 

FAITH. 

"  How  beautiful  and  how  striking  the  expression,  of  the 
apostle,  '  We  walk  by  faith.'  He  is  writing  to  the  Corin- 
thian Christians,  and  in  order  that  he  may  persuade  them 
not  to  be  cast  down  in  the  midst  of  their  trials  and 
afflictions,  he  directs  their  attention  l,o  their  '  house  not 
made  with  hands  eternal  in  the  heavens.'  '  Therefore, 
he  adds,  '  We  are  always  confident,  knowing  that  whilst 
we  are  at  home  (or  more  properly,  sojourning)  in  the 
body,  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord  for  we  walk  by 
faith,  not  by  sight.'  This  last  clans  i  is  added  as  the 
reason  of  the  confidence  which  the  apostle  professed — 
he  walked  by  faith. 

Had  he,  on  the   contrary,  walked   by  sight — had  he 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  77 

judged  the  Lord  '  by  feeble  sense,'  and  regulated  his 
conduct  according  to  the  maxims  of  worldly  wisdom,  ho\r 
different  would  have  been  his  course,  and  how  different 
the  result.  He  would  have  escaped  '  persecutions,'  the 
'cruel  scourgings  and  mockings,'  the  'perils'  by  land 
and  sea  which  he  so  frequently  endured ;  he  would  have 
trimmed  his  sails  to  catch  the  popular  breeze,  and  with 
his  talents,  his  acquirements,  and  the  advantages  of  his 
introduction  into  society,  he  would  doubtless  have  lived 
admired  and  courted  by  the  wise  and  the  learned  of  the 
age — the  Jewish  scribe  and  the  Greek  philosopher. 
But  what  would  the  end  have  been  ?  He  might  have 
died  with  the  uncertain  and  unreasonable  composure  of 
a  Socrates,  with  the  brutal  heroism  of  a  Cato,  or  the 
mountebank  vanity  of  an  Augustus  ;  but  we  should  never 
have  heard  the  triumphant  exclamation  of  a  soul  longing 
'to  depart  and  be  with  Christ.'  'O  death,  where  is 
thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?'  Like  Ha- 
drian or  Hume,  he  might  have  uttered  fool-hardy  jests  at 
the  approach  of  death ;  but  there  would  have  been  no 
record  in  heaven  or  on  earth  of  a  man,  who,  after  a  lifo 
of  unparalleled  exertion  and  unequalled  suffering,  went  in 
calm  serenity  to  the  block,  uttering  the  memorable 
words — '  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 
course,  I  have  kept  the  faith ;  henceforth  there  is  laid 
up  in  heaven  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day  :  and 
not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  ap- 
pearing.' 

In  view  of  such  an  exit  from  the  world  as  this,  who 
docs  not  exclaim,  '  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous, 
and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his  ?' — '  We  walk  by  faith.' 
Thus  did  Paul.  In  the  midst  of  a  wicked  and  perverse 
generation,  in  the  midst  of  temptations  and  trials  ;  with 
7* 


78  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

every  thing  that  could  tempt  or  allure  him  to  turn  aside, 
he  '  walked  by  faith.'  By  faith  he  traced  the  footsteps 
of  his  ascended  Lord  and  followed  them  with  undeviating 
course.  By  faith  he  looked  beyond  the  heavens  and 
there  beheld  '  Jesus  the  Forerunner'  entered  into  rest 
and  waiting  to  welcome  all  his  faithful  followers.  Upon 
this  object  as  upon  the  guiding  and  illuminating  star  of 
his  path  through  earth's  wilderness,  he  fixed  his  stead- 
fast eye  '  looking  unto  Jesus  the  Author  and  Finisher  of 
his  faith.'  It  was  this  confidence  in  things  unseen  that 
enabled  him  to  endure  unto  the  end.  And  how  much 
more  good  might  Christians  effect,  how  many  more  tri- 
umphs over  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  Devil  might  they 
achieve,  would  they  cultivate  more  the  grace  of  faith  in 
their  hearts.  Not  a  dead  faith,  a  faith  speculatively  cor- 
rect, empty,  vain,  inoperative  ;  but  that  true  and  living- 
faith  which  works  by  love,  and  so  purifies  the  heart,  and 
by  purifying  the  heart  informs  the  head,  and  thus  leads 
to  holy,  beneficial  and  well-sustained  action. 

When,  oh !  when  will  Christians  learn  to  '  walk  by 
faith' — to  live  confessing  themselves  '  strangers  and 
pilgrims  here' — by  the  exercise  of  faith  to  forsake  the 
world  and  its  vanities,  and  daily  and  hourly  go  up  and 
hold  sweet  converse  with  saints  and  angels  in  light,  wh" 
dwell  in  those  heavenly  mansions  which  are  soon  to  be 
their  own  eternal  home  ?" 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  WORLD. 

"  WE  said  last  week  that  this  was  the  most  glorious  en 
terprise  in  which  human  beings  had  ever  been  engaged- 
It  is  so, 

1.  Because  of  the  extent  of  the  enterprise.     Too  often 
it  is  the  case  that  the  schemes  of  man,  even  when  de- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  79 

signed  for  good,  are  limited  in  their  operation,  either 
from  some  defect  in  the  plan,  or,  what  indeed  is  pretty 
nearly  the  same  thing,  want  of  enlarged  views  of  duty  in 
the  designer.  Thus,  most  or  all  of  the  benevolent  efforts 
of  the  human  mind  have  been  confined  to  one's  own  kin- 
dred, or  neighbourhood,  or  city,  or  at  most  his  country. 
But  in  carrying  on  the  work  of  missions,  the  Church 
soars  at  once  far  above  the  influence  of  all  such  feelings. 
Attached  as  the  Christian  is,  and  as  he  ought  to  be,  to 
his  own  countrymen,  and  his  kindred  according  to  the 
flesh ;  in  this  work  he  moves  in  a  far  higher  sphere  of 
action.  All  men  are  his  brethren,  in  each  he  sees  a  soul 
for  which  Christ  died  ;  and  looking  to  the  immortal  des- 
tinies of  that  soul,  all  earthly  distinctions  vanish.  Here 
is  neither  rich  nor  poor,  nor  bond  nor  free,  nor  black  nor 
white,  but  all  are  one  in  his  view.  When  the  Church 
commissions  her  missionary,  it  is  in  the  words  of  her 
great  Head,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature.'  And  with  his  life  in  his  hand, 
and  the  unextinguishable  love  of  souls  in  his  heart,  he 
goes.  He  pierces  the  gloomy  forests  of  America,  he 
treads  the  burning  sands  of  Africa ;  his  voice  is  heard  on 
the  mountains  of  Asia,  and  among  the  isles  of  the  sea ; 
the  eternal  snows  of  Iceland,  and  the  burning  heat  of 
the  line  cannot  deter  him  ;  he  will  not  rest  until  to  every 
kindred,  and  tribe,  and  people,  under  the  whole  earth  he 
preaches  a  crucified  Redeemer.  So  also  at  home  ;  in  all 
plans  that  are  laid,  and  all  the  deliberations  that  are  held, 
this  is  the  end  kept  in  view,  the  regeneration  of  every 
son  and  datighter  of  Adam.  Alexander,  and  Caesar,  and 
Napoleon,  conquered  provinces  and  kingdoms ;  but  the 
soldier  of  the  Cross  is  engaged  in  conquering  the  WHOLE 
WORLD. 

2.  The   enterprise  of  converting  the  world  is  grand, 


80  MEMOIR  OP  THfi 

because  of  the  simplicity  of  the  means  employed.  There 
is  no  mysterious,  complex  system  of  operations,  constantly 
varying  in  its  application,  with  which  the  church  pro- 
poses to  carry  on  this  work.  All  is  simple,  sublime,  effi- 
cacious. The  doctrine  of  the  Cross,  '  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified,'  is  the  only  weapon  she  has,  the  only  one 
she  needs.  With  this  she  assaults  the  strong  holds  of 
infidelity,  strikes  down  the  pride  of  human  learning,  and 
humbles  the  conceit  of  vain  philosophy  ;  with  this  she 
enters  the  cottage  of  the  poor,  and  the  palace  of  the 
king,  in  spite  of  all  that  ignorance  or  sensuality  can 
oppose  to  her  progress  ;  by  this  she  makes  her  way 
through  the  prisons  of  superstition,  and  cruelty,  and 
bigotry,  setting  free  the  captives  and  giving  liberty  to 
them  that  are  bound. 

3.  In  the  dignity  of  the  actors  is  seen  the  grandeur  of 
the  enterprise.     For  though  apparently  it  is  achieved  by 
weak  and  erring  man,  yet  in  reality  it  is  not  so.     To. 
commence  the  work  the  Son  of  God  came  down  to  earth 
and  died;   to  carry  it  on  the  Spirit  of  God  is  ever  em- 
ployed with  its  omnipotent  energies,  while  God  the  Fa- 
ther directs  the  operations  of  his  earthly  providences  to 
the  same  great  end.     The  seat  of  influence  lies  not  on 
earth,  but  in  heaven.     Thence    come  down  supplies  of 
grace  and  wisdom  and  strength  for  those  engaged  in  this 
holy  war  ;  there  was  the  plan  conceived,  the  scheme  de- 
vised, and  there  will  its  operations  terminate.     For, 

4.  The  glory  of  this  enterprise  is  seen  in  its  grand  re- 
sults.    And  these  are  none  other  than  to  qualify  men  for 
heaven,  and  then  carry  them  up  thither.     It  proposes  to 
elevate  the  whole  human  race  to  their   original  dignity, 
and  thus  qualify  them  for  a  seat  at  the  right  hand  of  God. 
Fallen  and  degraded  as  man  now  is,  who  but  a  God  could 
have  conceived  such  a  plan,  and  who  but  a  God  could 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  81 

execute  it  1  The  work  indeed  is  the  Lord's,  but  the  church 
is  the  instrument  by  which  he  executes  it.  And  it  is 
hastening,  too,  to  its  termination.  A  thousand  signs  in- 
dicate this. 

Let.  the  infidel  scoff,  let  the  bigot  rave,  let  the  multitude 
deride  and  contemn  ;  but  who  that  loves  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  at  such  a  time  as  this,  will  stand  idly  by,  and  will 
not  rather  take  up  his  cross  and  march  to  the  van. 
Cheered  on  by  so  many  tokens  of  victory,  upheld  by  the 
promises  of  an  Almighty  Redeemer,  and  looking  forward 
to  a  crown  that  already  glitters  in  his  view,  before  whose 
brightness  the  stars  of  heaven  are  dim — where  is  the 
Christian  who  does  not  pant  for  action,  or  who  fears  what 
man  can  do  unto  him  ? 

Now  is  the  time,  oh  !  Christian — Gird  up  your  loins  and 
go  forth — Go  as  David  went,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of 
Hosts,  and  as  surely  as  he  triumphed  so  will  you.  And 
as  surely  as  your  Redeemer  liveth,  so  surely  will  he 
with  his  own  hands  place  the  crown  of  victory  upon 
your  head." 


EUROPE. 

March  27th,  1834. 

"  THE  moral  and  political  aspect  of  this  quarter  of  the 
globe  is,  at  the  present  time,  peculiarly  interesting.  Though 
the  smallest  of  the  four  grand  divisions  of  the  globe,  it  is, 
and  for  centuries  has  been,  by  far  the  most  important. 
The  history  of  civilization,  the  annals  of  literature,  the 
record  of  important  discoveries,  the  histories  of  the  tri- 
umphs of  Art  and  Science,  over  ignorance  and  barbarism, 
seldom  extend  beyond  this  favoured  portion  of  the  glob  \ 
Strike  from  the  annals  of  the  human  race  the  records 


82  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

European  mind,  and  the  achievments  of  European  intel- 
lect, and  History — all  at  least  that  has  come  down  to 
us — will  he  little  else  than  the  annals  of  barbarism.  The 
only  exception  to  this  remark  is  presented  by  our  own 
country  ;  whose  influence  is  indeed  pervadingly  manifest 
throughout  the  civilized  world.  Yet  its  existence  is  so 
recent,  that  in  calculating  the  elements  of  the  world's 
past  history,  it  scarcely  deserves  to  be  taken  into  the 
account. 

Eight  hundred  years  ago,  the  darkness  of  midnight 
rested  on  Europe.  Its  inhabitants  were  slaves  in  the 
broadest  sense  of  that  term.  Every  thing  seemed  com- 
bined to  rivet  the  chains  upon  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
men.  The  feudal  system  every  where  prevailed  accord- 
ing to  the  tenor  of  which  the  cultivators  of  the  soil,  were 
parcelled  out  the  property  of  petty  chiefs,  as  much  as  if 
they  had  been  mere  fixtures  on  the  land  ;  these  smaller 
chiefs  were  bound  in  fealty  to  nobles  and  barons  of  more 
extended  sway,  who  again  did  homage  to  their  sovereign 
King  or  Emperor,  which 

1  Emperor,  King,  and  Prince,  and  Peer,' 

were  alike  ignominiously  chained  to  the  footstool  of  the 
Pope,  whom,  to  the  fullest  extent  of  passive  obedience 
they  acknowledged  as  Lord  of  life  and  death,  both  in  this 
and  the  other  world. 

It  is  not  in  language  to  paint,  nay  it  is  not  in  imagina- 
tion adequately  to  conceive,  the  picture  of  the  moral,  po- 
litical, and  social  desolation  which  Europe  at  this  time 
presented.  Over  its  whole  extent  the  eye  looks  in  vain 
for  one  spot  of  verdure,  on  which  for  a  moment  it  may 
rest.  All  is  blackness  and  ruin,  varied  only  by  the  dif- 
ferent features  of  repulsiveness  and  horror. 

High  on  the  throne  of  universal  dominion  which  they 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  83 

had  audaciously  usurped,  sat  the  Popes  surrounded  by  a 
priesthood,  venal,  ignorant,  and  debauched  in  a  degree 
almost  exceeding  belief ;  themselves  distinguished  from 
their  spiritual  vassals,  only  by  that  pre-eminence  in  all 
manner  of  wickedness  which  their  power  enabled  them 
to  commit ;  issuing  their  arrogant  and  impious  decrees 
which  were  '  to  bind  kings  with  chains,'  and  '  nobles 
with  fetters  of  iron.'  Monks,  friars,  and  nuns,  mendi- 
cants without  name  and  without  degree,  filled  the  mon-* 
asteries  and  nunneries  that  every  where  abounded,  with 
riots  and  debaucheries  that  cannot  be  described,  or 
swarmed  over  the  land,  like  the  lice  of  Egypt,  eating  up 
all  its  fair  fruits,  and  inspiring  loathing  and  abhorrence  by 
their  pestilential  presence.  From  the  Pope  to  the  sov- 
ereign, the  noble,  and  thus  down  to  the  peasant  and  the 
serf,  Superstition  extended  her  Sybaritic  and  brutalizing 
influences.  Beneath  her  benumbing  grasp  the  palsied 
wretch  sank  down  unnerved,  unmanned  ;  and  worship- 
ped as  his  gods  and  revered  as  his  Saviour,  images  of 
wood  and  stone,  which  his  own  hands  did,  or  might 
make  ;  or  treasured  in  his  bosom  as  the  '  pearl  of  great 
price,'  relics  of  '  every  name  and  hue,'  a  lock  of  hair,  a 
piece  of  dried  skin,  a  thumb  or  a  toe  nail,  palmed  upon 
him  by  hungry  and  mendicant  piety,  were  venerated  as 
the  means  and  the  pledge  of  salvation.  And — horresco 
referens — this  diabolical  superstition  assumed  the  name 
and  the  offices  of  the  CHRISTIAN  RELIGION. 

Such  was  the  state-  of  Europe  when  the  star  of  the 
'  Reformation'  dawned  upon  it— that  star  of  glorious 
promise,  the  harbinger  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness, 
whose  beams  are  to  irradiate  and  purify  the  whole  earth. 
From  that  epoch  to  the  present,  the  conflict  between  the 
powers  of  light  and  darkness,  has  continued  without  in- 
terruption. To  the  mere  worldly  observer,  success  on 


84  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

the  part  of  Truth  and  Freedom  has  at  times  appeared 
more  than  doubtful ;  but  in  all  this  long  period  there  have 
not  been  wanting,  those  whose  vision,  purified  and 
strengthened  by  their  communion  with  the  Word  of  God, 
clearly  saw,  and  whose  pens  have  distinctly  recorded, 
the  ultimate  triumph  that  awaited  the  friends  of  God  and 
man.  What  they  saw  through  a  glass  and  by  faith,  we 
behold  with  open  vision.  To  any  one  who  has  taken  even 
the  most  superficial  view  of  the  past  history  and  present 
condition  of  Europe,  not  a  doubt  can  remain  of  the  speedy 
and  utter  extinction  of  the  Papal  Authority,  both  tempo- 
ral and  spiritual.  The  spirit  of  slavery,  the  doctrine  of 
passive  obedience,  which  are  essential  to  its  existence, 
are  becoming  more  and  more  circumscribed  in  their  in- 
fluence and  operations,  and  will  soon  be  scouted  from 
the  earth,  back  to  the  regions  of  darkness,  whence  they 
ascended  to  enslave  the  world. 

We  have  not  time  nor  room  in  this  article,  to  trace  the 
gradual  extension  and  progress  of  liberal  opinions  in 
Europe,  from  the  period  of  the  Reformation  to  the  pre- 
sent time.  Yet  a  single  glance  at  the  history  of  that  era 
will  satisfy  every  one,  that  in  proportion  as  Learning  and 
Science  have  made  progress  in  any  country,  has  the  in- 
fluence of  Pope  and  Priest  been  made  to  give  way. 

In  modern  times,  the  chief  ornament  and  support  of 
the  Papal  throne  has  been  France.  This  country  has 
long  occupied  a  commanding  position  in  the  world,  no 
less  from  her  military  prowess  and  skill,  than  from  the 
literary  and  scientific  acquirements  of  her  scholars. — 
Though  the  mass  of  her  inhabitants  have  been  ignorant, 
yet  learning  has  exercised  a  most  important  influence  w 
elevating  the  sentiments  and  enlarging  and  liberalizing 
the  views  of  many  of  her  nobles,  her  prelates,  and  her 
statesmen.  And  the  consequence  has  been  just  what 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  85 

might  have  been  expected.  The  Galilean  church  has 
been  exceedingly  restive  under  the  leaden  influence  of 
Rome,  and  his  Holiness  has  found  it  necessary  to  be  ex- 
ceedingly wary  how  he  touched  the  fiery  spirit  of  the 
Gaul.  The  Gallican  church  has  enjoyed  immunities 
granted  to  no  other,  and  which  fear  alone  extorted  from 
the  Roman  Pontiff.  Yet  enough  was  not  conceded  to 
satisfy  the  demands  of  the  rising  spirit  of  freedom  ;  and 
chains,  forged  in  the  darkness  of  the  pit,  were  wound  so 
artfully  around  the  giant  limbs  of  France,  that  she  lay  a 
victim  at  the  footstool  of  tyranny  temporal  and  spiritual, 
until,  at  the  epoch  of  the  Revolution,  with  convulsive 
energy  she  burst  assunder  her  bands,  and  in  the  fkst  mo- 
ments of  her  gratified  hate,  inflicted  such  vengeance 
upon  her  oppressors  as  made  even  humanity  recoil  with 
horror  from  the  spectacle.  Yet  when  we  consider  the 
nature  of  the  long  train  of  events  that  preceded  the 
French  Revolution,  the  various  causes  tending  to  produce 
it,  and  how  long  a  high  spirited  and  generous  people  had 
been  goaded  and  oppressed  by  a  sottish,  venal  priesthood 
and  a  debauched  monarchy  ;  it  seems  to  us  that  that  ter- 
rible catastrophe  is  rather  to  be  deplored  than  wonder- 
ed at. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  France,  exulting  in  the 
first  moments  of  her  recovered  freedom,  went  to  the  other 
extreme,  and  from  having  believed  too  much,  refused  to 
believe  any  thing.  She  became  a  nation  of  infidels. 
And  such,  to  a  great  extent,  she  remains  at  the  present 
day.  With  her,  priest  is  but  another  name  for  bigot,  and 
Christianity  she  confounds  with  Superstition.  The  mis- 
take is  a  very  natural  one,  yet  it  is  not  the  less  to  be 
deplored.  Still  there  is  hope  for  her,  and  hope  which 
promises  fruition  a  thousand  times  sooner  than  if  she 
had  remained  a  vassal  of  the  Pope.  If  error  is  lament- 
8 


86  MEMOIR  OF 

ably  prevalent  there,  yet  truth  is,  in  a  good  degree,  free 
to  combat  it.  Public  Sentiment  is  free,  liberal  opinions 
put  forth  their  claims  unchallenged,  the  universal  educa- 
tion of  all  classes  is  becoming  an  object  of  paramount  at- 
tention, to  accomplish  which  the  Government  is  direct- 
ing all  its  energies.  Such  is  now  the  state  of  France. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  our  remarks  upon  this 
country,  because  from  her  commanding  position,  the  his- 
tory of  France  is  the  hisiory  of  continental  Europe.  We 
now  proceed  to  show — and  this  was  indeed  the  primary 
object  of  these  remarks — what  the  condition  of  Europe, 
when  considered  in  reference  to  its  great  political  divi- 
sions, is.  And  here  we  must  of  necessity  be  very  brief. 

Looking  at  Europe  with  this  object  in  view,  we  shall 
find  the  nations  drawing  together  into  two  great  divisions. 
In  the  south  the  liberalizing  influences  of  France  are  seen 
at  work  in  Spain  and  Portugal.  In  the  latter  they  have 
driven  Miguel,  the  sanguinary  and  bigoted  favorite  of 
the  Pope,  from  the  throne  ;  and  in  the  former  banished 
the  heir  by  '  divine  right,'  Don  Carlos,  and  restored  the 
Cortes  and  the  Constitution.  In  both  they  are  ferreting 
out  the  lazy  monks  from  their  cells  of  idleness  and  crime, 
and  teaching  them  that  '  they  that  will  not  work  neither 
shall  they  eat.'  The  natural  consequence  of  all  this  is, 
that  these  two  nations  should  assimilate  themselves  in 
their  habits  of  thought  and  action  to  France.  And  as 
this  nation  occupies  a  leading  position,  she  may  be  con- 
sidered at  once  as  the  irradiating  and  the  attractive  cen- 
tre of  liberal  opinions  on  the  continent.  England,  since 
the  days  of  her  '  Reform,'  is  prepared  to  take  ground 
by  her  side,  and  thus  there  will  be  seen  under  the  ban- 
ners of  freedom,  civil  and  religious,  England,  France, 
Spain,  and  Portugal,  with  some  or  most  of  the  minor 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  87 

states  of  Germany  ;  while  on  the  side  of  despotism  there 
will  rally  Russia — the  head  and  soul  of  the  confed- 
eracy— Austria,  Prussia,  and  the  Pope  in  his  double 
character  of  a  temporal  and  a  spiritual  prince.  We  think 
the  movements  in  Europe  indicate  that  this  union  of  kin- 
dred interests — which  when  it  happens  will  necessa- 
rily produce  hostility — is  even  now  taking  place  and 
will  soon  be  consummated.  Then  will  come  the  war 
of  opinion,  predicted  by  NAPOLEON — a  war  more  dread- 
ful, and  more  fierce  than  any  which  Europe  has  yet  wit- 
nessed. Yet  the  final  result,  though  long  suspended, 
cannot  be  doubtful.  Truth  will  triumph  ;  Freedom  will 
triumph ;  Religion  will  triumph.  Babylon  will  have 
fallen,  have  fallen  ;  her  incantations  and  her  sorceries 
will  no  longer  delude  or  destroy  the  human  mind  ;  and 
she  will  no  longer  present  an  insurmountable  barrier  to 
the  progress  of  religion  '  pure  and  undefined.' 

Such,  if  we  read  the  signs  aright,  such  is  the  pre- 
sent condition,  such  the  future  prospect  of  the  European, 
nations.  If  in  the  future  there  is  much  to  excite  regret, 
there  is  also  much  to  animate  and  encourage  the  friends 
of  God.  It  is  plain  that  the  reign  of  misrule,  and  des- 
potism, and  anarchy,  and  superstitious  bigotry  are  soon 
to  come  to  an  end.  True  its  down-fall  will  not  probably 
be  accomplished,  except  at  the  expense  of  much  blood 
and  great  suffering.  But  though  God  permits  the  earth- 
quake and  the  storm  to  desolate  the  earth,  we  know  that 
they  are  necessary  to  purify  a  corrupted  atmosphere. 
And  as  in  the  physical  so  in  the  moral  world,  though 
commotions,  war,  and  carnage  are  painful  in  their  opera- 
tions, they  may  be  necessary  in  their  results.  And  in  all 
events,  the  Christian  is  assured  that  the  peaceful  reign 
of  the  Redeemer  is  hastening  onward,  when  there 


88  MEMOIR  OF    THE 

shall    be    no    more  war,   nor   '  rumours  of  wars,'  but 
when 

*  Peace  like  a  river  from  his  throne, 
Shall  flow  to  nations  yet  unknown.'  " 


May  1st,  1834 

"  AFTER  so  long  a  time,  we  are  again  permitted,  though 
still  with  trembling  hand,  to  hold  the  Editorial  pen.  The 
interval  during  which  our  labours  have  been  suspended, 
has  indeed  been  to  us  one  of  much  pain  and  suffering. 
But 

'  Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity,' 

when  sanctified  by  the  presence  and  teachings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  We  return  to  our  work,  with  accumulated 
motives,  and,  as  we  hope,  a  strengthened  purpose,  to  be 
'  diligent  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the 
Lord.' 

And  most  earnestly  and  affectionately  would  we  ex- 
hort our  readers,  that  whatsoever  their  hand  findeth  to 
do,  they  do  with  all  their  might.  Especially  do  we  en- 
treat those  who  have  not  yet  commenced  the  work  of 
their  salvation,  that  they  delay  it  no  longer.  A  sick  or 
a  dying  bed,  when  the  mind  is  distracted  with  pain,  or 
absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the  awful  eternity  that 
is  opening  upon  its  view,  is  no  time  to  seek  a  Saviour. 
Seek  him  now  then,  '  while  he  may  be  found,  call  upon 
him  while  he  is  near.'  And  remember  that,  whether  we 
make  haste,  or  not,  to  secure  an  interest  in  his  salvation, 
time  is  surely  and  swiftly  hastening  us  to  the  grave  and 
the  Judgment.  How  soon  will  all  who  read  this  para- 
graph be  sleeping  in  their  tombs  !  Some  undoubtedly — 
perhaps  the  writer  among  them — will  be  carried  out  in 
season  for  the  flowers  of  the  coming  summer  to  bloom 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  89 

upon  their  graves.     How  solemn  the  reflection,  and  yet 
how  little  heeded." 

VAIN  PHILOSOPHY. 

August  21st,  1834. 

"  If  there  ever  was  a  sincere  inquirer  after  truth  it  was 
Jonathan  Edwards,  And  how  few  can  hope  to  possess, 
in  an  equal  degree,  the  advantages  for  pursuing  the  in- 
quiry which  he  possessed  ? 

Learned,  pious,  acute,  and  persevering,  he  was  yet 
humble  and  docile  as  a  child.  In  him  pride  of  opinion 
was  never  stronger  than  love  for  the  truth.  And  yet  his 
great  work  on  the  Freedom  of  the  Will  is,  in  one  respect, 
a  signal  failure.  He  has  indeed  abundantly  proved  that 
man  is  a  free  agent,  as  also  that  all  his  actions  are  fore- 
known and  fore-determined  by  his  Maker  But  there 
needed  no  long  train  of  philosophical  reasoning  to  prove 
these  doctrines — the  Bible  had  already  done  it  before 
him.  Yet  in  his  attempt  to  reconcile  these  great  truths 
to  each  other  he  has  entirely  failed.  And  if  he  failed, 
who  shall  succeed  ?  Nor  is  this  failure  to  be  wondered 
at ;  for  this  very  question  David  had  confessed  himself 
unequal  to  meet : — '  Such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful 
for  me  ,-  it  is  high,  I  cannot  attain  unto  it.' 

Now  here  lies  the  great  error  of  too  many  men. — In- 
stead of  being  satisfied  with  ascertaining  the  existence 
of  a  truth,  they  must  needs  determine  the  mode  of  its  ex- 
istence. But  this  is  an  abuse  of  their  powers  of  reason- 
ing, and  it  is  of  such  very  persons  that  Paul  speaks,  when 
he  says,  '  Professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  became 
fools.'  The  great  Apostle  was  as  prompt  to  rebuke  the 
presumption  of  those  who  would  have  a  God  too  well 
known,  as  he  was  to  denounce  the  superstition  of  those 
who  built  altars  to  the  Unknown  God. 
8* 


00 


MEMOIR  OF  THE 


The  Being  and  attributes  of  God  may  be  learned  from 
the  Book  of  Nature,  but  of  his  purposes  we  can  know 
nothing,  except  by  revelation.  And  it  is  equally  an 
abuse  of  this  revelation  and  our  own  faculties,  if  we  seek 
to  know  farther  than  the  simple  facts  revealed.  Here  it 
is  that 

'  Men  rusli  in  where  Angels  fear  to  tread.' 

It  is  not  only  vain  but  it  is  sinful,  to  attempt  prying 
into  the  counsels  of  the  Infinite  Mind.  A  few,  a  very 
few  of  the  purposes  of  God  have  been  revealed  to  us,  but 
beyond  these  few  all  is  unknown.  '  Clouds  and  dark- 
ness are  round  about  his  throne.'  We  may  weary  our- 
selves and  offend  God,  in  the  attempt,  but  we  can  never 
penetrate  them.  It  is,  therefore,  an  abuse  of  reason,  to 
endeavour  to  look  into  the  counsels  of  the  Most  High. 

But  secondly,  it  ib  presumption  in  the  highest  degree, 
because  we  cannot  understand  the  reasons  of  a  revealed 
truth,  therefore  to  reject  it  altogether.  In  very  few  in- 
stances, indeed,  has  God  condescended  to  explain  the 
reasons  of  his  moral  enactments,  and  in  none  have  we  a 
right  to  require  them.  '  Thus  saith  lite  Lord,'  should 
at  once  put  to  rest  the  impertinent  curiosity  of  man. 

Eve  could  not  see  why  she  might  not  as  well  eat  of 
the  forbidden  tree  as  of  others,  since  it  was  as  fair  to 
look  upon  as  they  ;  and  because  God  had  not  explained 
to  her  the  reason  of  his  prohibition,  she  ventured  to 
pluck  the  fruit 


•  'whose  mortal  taste, 


Brought  death  into  the  world  and  all  our  wo.' 

That  her  awful  fate  has  not  deterred  her  descendants 
from  following  her  example,  is  proof  enough  both  of  their 
depravity  and  their  folly. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  91 

Again.  If  we  cannot  reconcile  two  revealed  truths 
so  as  to  make  them  consistent  with  each  other,  we  bavo 
not,  in  consequence,  any  right  to  conclude  that  theii 
agreement  is  impossible.  Yet  how  often  has  this  been 
done,  to  the  shipwreck  of  faith  as  of  souls.  The  doc- 
trines of  the  Trinity,  of  Election,  &c.  are  beyond  our 
reason,  but  what  right  have  we  to  say,  that  they  are 
contrary  to  it  1  Who,  of  mortal  man,  or  of  created  be- 
ings, is  authorized  to  pronounce  upon  the  possible  limita- 
tions of  the  Uncreated  One  ?  How  can  we  tell  that  as 
much  Truth  is  not  given  as  we  can  bear  to  know  ?  Who 
shall  say  that  if  God  had  revealed  to  us  more  of  his  eter- 
nal purposes  and  Godhead,  the  knowledge  would  not 
have  overwhelmed  us  ?  the  light  have  been  too  great  for 
our  weak  nerves  to  bear,  and  thus  have  made  us  alto- 
gether blind  ?  Let  these  questions  be  satisfactorily  an- 
swered, before  we  venture  to  complain  of  obscurity  in  the 
revelations  of  the  Divine  Mind.  Let  us  cease,  there- 
fore, perplexing  ourselves  in  vain  attempts  to  '  find  out 
the  Almighty.'  We  are  finite,  and  how  can  we  expect 
to  fathom  and  comprehend  the  questions  of  Freedom, 
Necessity,  and  the  Origin  of  Evil,  which  reach  through 
Infinitude,  and  take  hold  of  the  very  Throne  of  God  ? 
How  can  we  construct  a  problem  which  shall  embrace 
within  its  terms  all  the  elements  of  Eternity  ? 

Truth,  as  much  of  it  as  we  need  to  know,  is  within 
us.  In  our  soul  of  souls,  in  that  consecrated  region  of 
the  heart  never  disturbed  by  Argument  or  invaded  by 
Doubt,  lies  a  deep  fountain  of  Truth,  whose  waters  are 
continually  welling  up.  Here  let  us  drink  and  be  re- 
freshed, neither  asking  how  it  came  there,  since  it  comes 
from  that  stream  which  flows  '  fast  by  the  Throne  of 
God.'  nor  seeking  to  fathom  its  depths.  It  is  enough 
that  its  waters  are  sweet,  and  that  they  are  perennial. 


92  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Beyond  this  we  cannot  know,  and  we  must  not  seek  to 
know. 

We  were  sent  into  this  world  not  to  dispute  about  the 
next,  but  to  prepare  for  it.  Of  the  next  world  we  can 
know  nothing  but  by  revelation  from  Him  who  made  it. 
That  revelation  has  been  given  us,  and  now  let  us  not 
seek  to  be  wise  above  what  is  written.  Let  us  seek 
rather  to  resolve  no  questions  which  are  not  required  of 
us,  and  whenever  apparent  difficulties  in  the  Purposes 
and  Providences  of  God,  meet  us  as  we  journey  towards 
our  heavenly  home,  let  us  contentedly,  and  eren  cheer- 
fully, say  : 

'  God  is  his  own  interpreter, 
And  He  can  make  it  plain.'  " 

THE  VANITY  OF  MAN 

August  28, 1834. 

"  IT  was  a  beautiful  thought  of  the  Greek  philosopher, 
when  he  compared  the  life  of  man  to  a  bubble.  Along 
the  stormy  ocean  of  life  the  different  generations  of  men 
arise  like  bubbles  on  a  stream — at  best  a  tear-drop  in- 
flated with  air.  Some  of  these  bubbles  sink  at  once  into 
the  mass  of  waters  whence  they  came  ;  others  float  up 
and  down  for  a  turn  or  two  upon  the  tops  of  the  restless 
waves,  and  also  disappear  ;  and  even  those  which  re- 
main the  longest  are  in  perpetual  agitation  and  restless- 
ness, the  sport  of  every  breeze  and  every  tide,  until  they 
too  are  swallowed  up. 

It  is  even  so  with  man.  Some  are  born  only  that  they 
may  die— like  the  bubble  blown  up  and  destroyed  by  the 
same  breath  of  air.  Some  abide  a  little  longer,  to  bear 
the  peltings  of  the  storm,  but  their  fragile  forms  are  soon 
broken  by  the  violence  of  the  tempest.  And  those  that 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  93 

endure  for  a  season,  what  are  their  lives  but  one  con 
linued  scene  of  disquietude,  disappointment  and  doubt ; 
while  like  the  bubble  tossed  upon  the  unquiet  waters 
they  find  no  resting  place  for  a  moment,  until  they  sink 
back  into  the  earth  from  whence  they  were  taken. 

The  Bible  abounds  with  the  most  impressive  figures 
to  teach  us  the  vanity  of  human  life.  '  For  what  is  your 
life  ?'  says  James,  '  It  is  even  a  vapor  that  appeareth 
for  a  little  time  and  then  vanisheth  away.'  '  We  spend 
our  years,'  says  Moses,  '  as  a  tale  that  is  told.'  '  Be- 
hold,' says  the  plaintive  David, '  behold,  thou  hast  made 
my  days  as  an  handbreadth,  and  mine  age  is  as  nothing 
before  thee  ;  verily  every  man  at  his  best  state  is  alto- 
gether vanity.' 

Can  any  thing  be  more  affecting  than  this  ?  It  is  the 
language  of  a  king — of  one  who  had  passed  through 
many  vicissitudes  in  life,  having  ascended  from  the  oc- 
cupation of  a  shepherd,  to  the  station  of  king  over  all 
Israel.  He  had  reached  the  summit,  the  world  had  no- 
thing more  to  give  ;  yet  looking  back  upon  the  past,  and 
round  upon  the  present  scenes  of  his  life,  he  sighs  at  the 
reflection,  which  is  forced  upon  his  mind,  that  they  are 
'  altogether  vanity.'  Alas !  the  man  has  never  lived, 
whether  king  or  peasant,  whose  breast  has  not  been 
heaved  by  the  same  sigh,  whose  heart  has  not  been  sad- 
dened by  the  same  reflection. 

The  causes  that  conspire  to  make  the  life  of  man  on 
earth  a  '  vanity,'  and  even  a  vexation  of  spirit  are  many. 

1.  He  is  a  stranger  here — he  is  not  at  home.  His 
company,  the  scenes  around  him,  every  thing  he  sees, 
alt  he  hears,  are  not  adapted  to  his  tastes,  not  fitted  for 
his  capacities.  Like  the  caged  bird  his  food  is  insipid, 
his  vision  confined,  and  he  cannot  choose  but  pine  in  his 
solitude  as  he  thinks  of  the  purer  light,  the  brighter 


94  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

scenes,  and  the  boundless  glory,  among  which  he  would 
fain,  with  unfettered  wing,  expatiate.  But  he  is  bound 
to  earth  ;  clogged  with  clay  ;  and  he  who  is  fitted  to  soar 
and  sing  in  the  heavens,  must  grovel  in  the  dust.  And 
here  feeding  on  ashes,  he  lives  among  the  dead  till  Time 
can  dig  his  grave  also,  into  which  he  creeps  and  is  seen 
no  more. 

2.  The  vicissitudes  of  life  are  nothing  but  a  series  of 
disappointments.  Whether  for  good  or  for  ill,  none  of 
all  our  ten  thousand  cherished  plans  have  succeeded  ex- 
actly to  our  wish.  The  catastrophe  came  too  soon  or 
too  late  ;  the  scheme  failed  altogether,  or  its  result  was 
different  from  what  we  desired  or  expected.  And  if  no 
present  evils  press  upon  us,  we  are  distressed  with  the 
apprehensions  of  future,  or  disquieted  with  the  remem- 
brance of  past  misfortunes ;  and  at  best  our  hopes  do 
but  struggle  with  our  fears,  while  we  are  left  desolate. 
We  are  always  either  troubled  or  dissatisfied  ;  and  if  no- 
thing else  makes  us  uneasy,  even  the  very  absence  of  our 
accustomed  tormentors  will  make  us  so.  And  herein  ap- 
pears the  vanity  of  our  state,  that  nothing  restrains  us 
from  the  madness  and  rioting  of  prosperity,  but  that  every 
cup  we  put  to  our  lips,  is  dashed  with  the  bitterness  of 
gall.  Thus  it  has  been  well  said  of  man  that  '  he  is 
always  restless  and  uneasy,  he  dwells  iipon  the  waters, 
and  leans  upon  thorns,  and  lays  his  head  upon  a  sharp 
stone.' 

And  what  does  the  experience  of  every  man  but  echo 
back  the  declaration  of  the  prophet,  '  Cursed  be  the  man 
that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh  flesh  his  arm  ?'  He 
who  does  it  leans  upon  a  cracked  reed  that  sooner  or 
later  will  break  beneath  him.  Nisus  and  Euryalus,  Py- 
lades  and  Orestes  may  live  in  fable  and  in  song,  but  they 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  95 

have  never  lived  any  where  else.  For  so  certain  a* 
winter  succeeds  summer,  so  true  is  it  that 

1  The  friends  who  in  our  sunshine  live, 

In  wintry  days  are  flown ; 
And  he  who  has  but  tears  to  give, 
Must  weep  those  tears  alone.' 

This  is  poetry,  it  is  true ;  but  it  is  not  fiction,  as  many  a 
deserted  heart,  many  a  desolate  bosom  can  witness.  Like 
motes  in  the  sunbeams,  friends  gather  around  even  to  an- 
noyance in  the  days  of  prosperity,  but  at  the  first  cloud 
that  obscures  the  .sky,  at  the  first  sound  of  the  distant 
thunder  they  flee  away,  and  leave  him  upon  whom,  they 
had  fattened,  to  bide  alone  the  fury  of  the  storm.  Such 
is  human  friendship  ;  so  empty,  so  valueless. 

Whither,  then,  shall  the  heart-stricken  mourner  turn  ? 
In  the  desolateness  of  his  misery  must  he  die,  as  he  has 
lived,  without  hope  ?  No,  he  need  not.  As  he  flees  to 
the  grave,  as  to  a  refuge  and  a  rest  from  ills  he  can  no 
longer  endure,  Religion,  heaven  descended,  meets  him 
and  bids  him  no  further  despair.  She  tells  him  of  One 
whose  friendship  never  fails,  whose  promises  are  never 
broken — of  One  who  '  having  loved  his  own  loveth  them 
unto  the  end.'  She  points  him  to  a  world  where  ingrati- 
tude and  selfishness  are  unknown  ;  where  the  tear  of  an- 
guish never  flows,  the  sigh  of  sorrow  is  never  heaved  ; 
where  no  vain  regrets,  no  anxious  forebodings,  intrude 
upon  the  heart  overflowing  with  joy ;  and  bids  him  lie 
down  and  rest  in  hope,  for  that  world  is  all  his  own 
Who,  then,  would  wish  to  live  ?  or  rather,  who  would  not 
wish  to  die  ?  Who  is  not  ready  to  say  with  Job, '  I  would 
not  live  always  ?'  Borne  down  with  the  weight  of  sin, 
oppressed  with  a  sense  of  his  own  unworthiness  and  the 
faithlessness  of  others,  while  the  whole  creation  is 
groaning  around  him,  being  like  him,  '  made  subject  to 


96  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

vanity,'  what  would  the  Christian,  what  can  he,  but  long 
to  die  ? — to  close  his  eyes  and  shut  his  ears  upon  the 
scenes  and  the  discords  of  earth,  until  he  can  open  thyem 
to  the  beauties  and  the  melodies  of  heaven  *" 


SIR  ISAAC  NEWTON. 

"  WE  have  just  been  looking  through  the  life  of  this 
great  man,  by  Dr.  Brewster.  It  is  exceedingly  interest- 
ing as  detailing  the  process  and  the  several  steps  by 
which  he  ascended  to  the  visible  heavens,  and  there 
walked  with  God  with  the  stars  beneath  his  feet.  Yet 
though  he  ascended  so  high,  and  stood  where  the  hori- 
zons of  a  thousand  worlds  fell  within  his  vision,  though 
he  looked  upward  and  around  into  heights  and  depths, 
where  the  eye  of  no  other  mortal,  save  that  of  Laplace, 
has  pierced,  he  had  and  expressed  the  humblest  views  of 
his  own  powers  and  acquisitions. 

To  others,  to  the  great  mass  of  mankind,  he  seems  to 
have  been  borne  on  the  wings  of  thought,  even  to  the  ut- 
most verge  of  Nature's  dominions,  to  have  explored  with 
unerring  ken  her  most  secret  chambers,  and  to  have  un- 
covered and  brought  to  the  light  all  those  secret  springs, 
that  complicated  machinery,  by  which  she  enforces  and 
regulates  the  movements  of  systems  and  suns,  with  all 
their  worlds,  through  the  regions  of  space.  And  such  is 
the  sentiment  of  the  poet  respecting  him  : 

1  Nature  and  Nature's  laws  lay  hid  in  night, 
God  said,  Let  Newton  be— and  all  was  light.' 

But  hear  his  own  estimation  of  all  that  he  had  achiev- 
ed : — '  I  do  not  know,'  said  he,  '  what  I  may  appear  to 
the  world,  but  to  myself  I  seem  to  have  been  only  like  a 
boy  playing  on  the  seashore,  and  diverting  myself  in  now 


REV.   E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  9T 

and  then  finding  a  smoother  pebble  or  a  prettier  shell 
than  ordinary,  while  the  great  ocean  of  truth  lay  all  un- 
discovered before  me.'  This  is  undoubtedly  the  true 
estimate,  and  what  a  lesson  does  it  teach  to  the  vanity  of 
man  !  If  Newton  thus  humbled  himself  before  the  Un- 
created Intelligence,  because,  with  all  his  efforts,  he 
could  learn  so  little  of  His  ways,  what  room  is  left  for 
others  to  boast  1  This  most  instructive  declaration  af- 
fords another  proof,  that  the  studies  of  the  Book  of  Na- 
ture and  of  Revelation  lead  to  the  same  result,  though  in 
different  degrees,  and  that  the  student  of  each  will,  in 
reference  to  their  Author,  be  ready  to  say,  in  the  words 
of  the  poet, 

'  The  more  Thy  glories  strike  my  view, 
The  humbler  I  shall  lie.' 

And  who,  we  may  ask,  in  the  pride  of  human  strength 
and  wisdom  will  venture  upon  a  voyage  over  that 
shadowy  Ocean,  from  which  Newton  shrank  back  dis- 
mayed ?  Or,  if  the  example  of  this  great  man  will  not 
deter  us,  at  least  let  us  be  warned  from  the  rash  enter- 
prise by  the  innumerable  wrecks  which  strew  its  shore, 
of  those  who  have  made  the  attempt  and  perished.  And 
yet  this  Ocean  must  be  passed  ere  we  can  be  at  rest.  It 
rolls  between  Time  and  Eternity,  between  Earth  and 
Heaven  ;  and  it  is  on  its  outmost  shores,  far,  far  beyond 
all  mortal  ken,  that  the  land  of  promise  lies.  There, 
and  there  only,  are  those  '  sweet  fields'  that 

'  Stand  drest  in  living  green  ;' 

there  the  '  flowery  mounts  ;'  there  Jesus,  the  Forerun- 
ner, and  the  assembly  of  the  saints  made  perfect ;  there 
the  River  of  life,  and  there  the  Paradise  of  God. 

But  let  us  not  be  dismayed.     It  was  as  a  Philosopher 
9 


98  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

that  Newton  feared  to  venture  upon  its  waves,  a.nd  not 
as  a  Christian.  Science  could  not  bear  him  over  in 
safety ;  but  Faith  could.  While  even  to  the  eagle  eye 
of  Science  all  was  unmitigated  darkness,  Faith  with  yet 
keener  vision  could  pierce  the  gloom,  and,  far  above  the 
region  of  the  tempest,  could  discern  the  Star  of  Bethle- 
hem shining  mildly  and  tranquilly  down,  and  guiding  to 
the  haven  of  peace.  She,  too,  and  she  alone,  though  the 
sea  and  all  the  waves  thereof  roar,  could  hear  the  voice 
of  Him  who  walked  upon  the  waters,  saying,  '  It  is  I ; 
be  not  afraid.'  With  such  a  guide  the  Christian  embark- 
ed in  confidence,  and,  we  cannot  doubt,  landed  in  safety. 

And  this,  after  all,  was  the  true  glory  of  Newton.  For 
while  he  questioned  Nature  with  high  and  daring  resolve, 
and  compelled  her  to  disclose  her  most  hidden  secrets, 
he  never  questioned  Nature's  God.  All  the  paths  by 
which  he  walked  through  her  labyrinths  terminated  in  a 
Great  First  Cause,  and  beyond  that  he  would  not  move  a 
step.  Beyond  that  he  knew  and  felt  was  a  region  of 
'  emptiness'  and  '  nothingness'  where  he  could  not 
stand,  with  '  darkness  upon  the  face  of  the  deep'  which 
the  Omniscient  Eye  alone  could  pierce.  Hence  to  his 
own  mind,  his  profoundest  researches  served  but  to  con- 
firm the  truth  revealed  from  heaven, — '  In  the  beginning 
God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth.'  And  thus  it  was 
that  his  highest  flights  carried  him  no  higher  than  to  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  where  he  sat  down  to  learn  the  simple  yet 
sublime  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  with  all  the  docility  and 
single-heartedness  of  a  child. 

The  whole  history  of  human  learning  and  sci- 
ence affords  nothing  so  affectingly  instructive  in  this 
respect,  as  the  example  of  Newton.  Not  that  he  is  the 
only  instance  where  profound  attainments  have  been 
made  subservient  to  the  cause  of  divine  truth.  Far  from 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  99 

it.  By  much  the  greater  number  of  those  names,  which 
in  modern  days  have  illustrated  the  circle  of  the  sciences, 
are  found  enrolled  among  the  humble  followers  of  the 
Lamb.  But  as  of  all  these  names  Newton's  is  the  most 
illustrious,  so  perhaps  was  his  humility  the  most  sincere 
and  unfeigned." 

The  Editor  of  the  Observer  frequently  rode  into  the 
country  around  St.  Louis,  preaching  and  attending  meet- 
ings of  the  Synod  and  Presbytery,  as  also,  meetings  for 
various  benevolent  objects.  A  sabbath  spent  at  Apple 
Creek  is  thus  described. 

Apple  Creek,  May  22d,  1835. 

"  THE  church  at  Apple  Creek,  with  the  exception  of 
the  First  church  in  your  city,  is  the  largest  in  the  State 
The  number  of  members  returned  to  the  General  Assem 
bly  of  1834,  was  206.  I  forgot  to  enquire  the  present 
number.  The  congregation  also,  worshipping  with  this 
church  is,  I  judge,  mu'ch  more  numerous,  than  any  other 
out  of  St.  Louis.  Indeed,  from  what  I  saw,  I  should 
think  it  would  come  but  little  short,  in  point  of  numbers,  to 
the  first  society  in  that  city.  To  see  the  congregation 
assemble,  reminded  me  of  the  descriptions  I  have  often 
read,  of  the  gathering  of  the  Highland  clans  at  the 
muster  call  of  their  leaders.  An  unpractised  eye  could 
discern  not  the  least  sign  that  would  betoken  the  vicinage 
of  human  beings.-  But  at  the  first  sound  of  the  bugle, 
every  brake,  and  hollow,  the  shieling  of  every  hill,  would 
pour  forth  its  tide  of  living  beings  to  swell  the  number  of 
the  gathering  multitude.  Even  so  it  was  here.  The 
meeting-house  stands  deeply  embowered  in  the  woods, 
which  shut  the  prospect  in  on  every  side.  Arriving 
there,  a  short  time  before  the  hour  of  worship,  a  person 


100  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

accustomed  to  live  in  cities,  would  conclude  that  few 
would  be  there  to  disturb  his  solitary  meditations  ;  but 
as  the  appointed  hour  approaches,  an  unexpected  change 
passes  over  the  scene.  As  if  by  magic,  it  becomes  at 
once  animated  with  the  presence  of  living  beings. 
From  every  quarter,  and  almost  from  behind  every  tree, 
the  hardy  yeomanry  of  the  country  come  pouring  in,  ac- 
companied by  their  wives,  children,  and  sweethearts. 
Generally  they  come  on  horseback,  the  young  men  glory- 
ing in  their  horsemanship,  as  they  caricole  from  side  to 
side  of  the  narrow  pathway,  to  remove  the  overhanging 
limbs  and  grape  vines,  lest  they  annoy  the  damsels  who 
are  riding  at  their  elbows,  while  the  man  of  middle 
age,  sobered  by  matrimony,  comes  jogging  up,  with  his 
wife  behind,  and  his  child  before  him,  on  the  same  ani- 
mal. I  envy  not  the  man  his  feelings,  who  can  look  upon 
such  unsophisticated  examples  of  domestic  happiness 
and  youthful  hopes,  and  not  find  his  heart  pervaded  with 
sympathizing  gladness.  These  are  the  sober  enjoyments 
of  every  day  life,  which  a  benevolent  God  gives  to 
every  one  who  has  not  weakly  or  wickedly  thrown  them 
away. 

Entering  the  house  of  God,  you  look  round  upon  a  most 
interesting  assembly.  Nearly  all  but  the  younger  part, 
have  been  gathered  from  distant  regions ;  they  have 
come  to  die  in  a  land  unknown  to  their  fathers,  but  not 
so  to  their  fathers'  God.  Him  they  still  worship,  as 
they  worshipped  him,  in  the  hours  of  their  infancy — 
theirs  is  the  same  Redeemer,  the  same  promises,  the 
same  gospel,  and  theirs,  too,  the  same  assurance  of  im- 
mortality. Here,  close  by  the  pulpit,  is  an  aged  pilgrim. 
He  has  travelled  seven  hundred  miles  '  leaning  upon  the 
top  of  his  staff '  but  his  journies  are  now  over,  save  the 
last  one  that  all  must  take,  and  from  which  none  return. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  101 

His  head  is  like  the  almond  tree,  and  he  goes  bowed  down 
alway  ;  but  he  cannot  fall,  for  a  Saviour's  arm  upholds 
him.  Let  him  go  in  peace  ;  let  no  one  seek  to  detain  him, 
when  his  Redeemer  calls  him  to  his  presence,  that  He 
may  clothe  that  mortal  with  immortality. 

Yonder  sits  a  man  of  middle  age,  with  his  family 
around  him,  his  beloved  and  affectionate  partner  and  his 
children,  the  youngest  now  verging  upon  manhood  and 
womanhood.  His  was  a  covenant,  and,  in  his  case,  well 
has  he  shown  himself,  a  covenant-keeping,  GOD.  Dedi- 
cated himself  in  infancy,  to  the  God  of  Abraham,  with  a 
heart  overflowing  with  gratitude  for  the  privilege,  as  God 
gave  him  children,  from  time  to  time,  he  presented  them 
in  the  arms  of  faith  before  the  altar,  that  the  name  of 
Israel's  God  might  be  named  upon  them,  and  they  too 
be  embraced  in  the  provisions  of  the  same  gracious  and 
ever-abiding  covenant.  He  brought  them  up  in  '  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,'  and  now  God 
has  given  them  all  to  him  again,  in  a  second  birth.  The 
world  calls  these  children  poor,  and  this  family  obscure. 
But  is  it  so  ?  Children  of  the  covenant,  the  Spirit  has  now 
sealed  them  as  heirs  of  God's  eternal  kingdom — trace 
their  course  a  few  years  onward,  and  they  are  seen 
shining  in  that  kingdom,  higher  and  brighter  than  the 
stars  forever  and  ever.  If  this  be  poverty  and  obscuri- 
ty, then  what  are  this  world's  riches  and  splendor  ? 

There  is  a  young  woman — no  father  or  mother  has  she 
to  whom  she  may  look  for  counsel  and  instruction,  no 
sister  into  whose  sympathizing  bosom  she  might  pour 
her  joys  and  sorrows,  no  brother  on  whom  to  lean  for 
that  support,  which  none  but  a  brother  can  give.  And 
yet  she  is  not  alone.  Daily  she  communes  with  her  Sa- 
viour, and  through  him,  with  heaven  and  all  its  delights. 
On  him  she  leans,  from  him  she  receives  counsel  and 
9* 


102  MEMOIR  OP  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

instruction,  while  in  obedience  to  his  commands  she  seeks 
to  fulfill  as  an  '  hireling  her  day,'  that  when  it  is  over, 
she  may  go  to  rest  in  His  bosom  forever. 

Such  are  some  of  the  varieties  of  character  to  be  met 
with  in  a  congregation  in  Missouri.  Alas  !  it  is  to  be 
feared  there  are  others  of  a  diffirent  type.  There  may 
•be  the  hoary  head,  with  all  its  sins  resting  unforgiven 
upon  it — there  may  be  the  apostate  from  the  church  and 
•the  altar  of  God,  there  a  young  man,  who  has  broken 
away  from  the  restraints  of  a  pious  home,  to  commence  a 
career  of  vice  and  profligacy :  and  there  another,  who 
Jhas  renounced  the  God  of  his  fathers,  and  having  him- 
eelf  become  the  head  of  a  family,  is  founding  a  new  dy- 
nasty of  rebels.  Better  had  that  man  never  been  born  ! 
I  rejoice  to  say,  that  I  saw  no  indications  of  any  such  in 
the  congregation  at  Apple  Creek.  The  assembly  was 
universally  and  uniformly  attentive  and  devout." 


j-or 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN  this  chapter  several  articles  upon  Romanism  are 
introduced,  which  exhibit  the  arguments  and  the  spirit, 
with  which  the  Editor  of  the  Observer  combated  the  de- 
lusions, errors,  and  wickedness  of  the  "  Infallible 
Church." 

TRANSUBSTANTIATION. 

"  THERE  is  one  plain  argument  against  this  doctrine, 
which  can  never  be  set  aside  : 

1.  We  are  required  to  believe  that  the  consecrated 
bread  and  wine   are   really  the   flesh   and  blood  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  because  the  Bible  says,  or  rather  the 
Saviour  speaking  in  the  Bible, '  This,'  (that  is,  the  bread,) 
'  is   my  body,'  and  '  This,'  (that  is,  the  wine,)  '  is  my 
blood.'     Now   supposing  I  ask  how  am  I  to  know  that 
the   Bible  says  any  such  thing  1     The  priest  opens  the 
book,  and  shows  me  the  very  words,  '  This  is  my  body.' 
But  now  I  ask  to  see  the  bread  and  the  wine  thus  meta- 
morphosed.    The  priest  gives  me  the  wafer,  I  taste  it,  it 
tastes  like  bread  ;  I  smell  it,  it  smells  like  bread,  I  handle 
it,  it  feds  like  bread.     And  so  of  the  wine. 

2.  I  therefore  turn  to  the  priest,  and  say  here  are  three 
senses  to  one,  in  favour  of  these  elements  being  bread  and 
wine  still ;  I  am  therefore  bound  to  believe  them  so.     I 
cannot,  from  the   very  laws  of  my  being,  believe  one 
sense  in  preference  to  three.     I  am,  therefore,  bound  to 


104  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

seek  some  other  fair  interpretation  of  the  words  '  This  is 
my  body,'  than  the  one  you  have  given  them,  or  else  re- 
ject them  altogether.  And  here  I  need  be  at  no  loss. 
Turning  to  John  x.  9,  I  find  Jesus  saying,  '  I  am  the 
door;'  and  in  John  xv.  1,  he  says  '  1  am  the  true  vine,' 
yet  you  do  not  pretend  to  make  the  Saviour  literally  say, 
that  he  was  a  door  or  a  vine.  Or  if  he  had,  when  speak- 
ing to  his  disciples,  intended  to  be  understood  literally, 
and  they  had  so  understood  his  meaning,  they  could  not 
have  believed  him.  They  heard  him  say  so,  but  they 
smelled,  saw,  and  felt  that  he  was  not  so ;  and  conse- 
quently must  distrust  their  own  hearing,  or  his  veracity. 
And  the  case  would  be  the  same  when  sitting  with  him 
at  the  supper  of  the  passover.  If  he  declared  to  them 
that  they  were  eating  and  drinking  flesh  and  blood,  they 
could  only  know  that  he  did  so  by  the  sense  of  hearing, 
whereas  by  three  senses,  taste,  touch,  and  smell,  they 
would  be  assured  they  were  doing  no  such  thing.  Ac- 
cording to  the  very  laws  of  the  human  mind,  therefore, 
they  could  not  so  understand  him. 

3.  The  only  remark  we  have  to  make  upon  this  argu- 
ment, is,  that  no  man,  in  his  senses,  ever  believed  fully 
and  fairly,  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation.  It  is  im- 
possible that  he  should  do  so.  He  might  as  well  believe 
that  fire  is  cold  and  ice  is  hot,  or  that  a  thing  is  and  is 
not  at  the  same  time.  Let  us  not  be  misunderstood  ; 
there  have,  doubtless,  been  many  men  who  honestly 
thought  they  believed  it ;  but  owing  to  the  prejudice  of 
education,  their  minds,  in  this  point,  was  dark,  and  saw 
things  that  were  not  as  though  they  were.  So  often  do 
we  see  individuals  afflicted  with  mental  imbecility  on 
some  particular  subject,  but  perfectly  sane  on  every  other. 
In  this  way  we  can  account  for  the  fact  that  many  good 
men  have  finquestionably  supposed  they  believed  the  doc- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  105 

trine  of  transubstantiation  ;  a  dogma  which,  if  true,  makes, 
as  has  been  well  said,  every  other  truth  a  lie." 


NUNNERIES. 

"  THAT  these  institutions  should  ever  have  acquired 
any  favour  in  a  community  so  shrewd,  sagacious,  and 
suspicious  as  the  American  people  are,  is  truly  a  wonder. 
And  that  they  should  have  succeeded  in  obtaining  in- 
mates from  the  families  of  Protestants  and  even  members 
of  the  Church,  is  still  more  astonishing.  It  is  to  be  ac- 
counted for  on  no  common  principle  of  human  action. 
In  this,  as  in  other  things,  Romanism  has  shown  itself  a 
'  mystery  of  iniquity.' 

;'  *What  is  a  Nunnery  ?  Have  the  American  people 
ever  asked  themselves  this  question  ?  And  if  so,  have 
they  ever  reflected  long  enough  upon  it  to  obtain  an  an- 
swer satisfactory  to  their  own  minds  ?  What  is  a  Nun- 
nery, we  ask  again?  We  will  tell.  It  is  a  dwelling 
whose  inmates  consist  of  unmarried  females,  of  all  ages, 
tempers,  dispositions,  and  habits.  These  females  have 
entered  into  voluntary  vows  of  chastity,  poverty,  and  obe- 
dience to  the  rules  of  their  order  and  their  spiritual  supe- 
riors. They  have  been  induced  to  take  these  vows  and 
exclude  themselves  from  the  world,  from  various  motives. 
Some  whose  affections  were  young  and  ardent,  from  disap- 
pointment of  the  heart;  some  from  love  of  retirement; 
some  from  morbid  sensitiveness  to  the  world  of  society, 
and  some  others,  from  the  blandishments  of  Priests  and 
Lady  Superiors.  In  Europe  there  is  another  cause — 
operating  more  than  any  other,  perhaps  than  all  others — 
which  peoples  the  Convents.  Unfeeling  parents  make 
them  the  receptacle  of  those  daughters,  who  may  be  in 
the  way  of  the  aggrandizement  of  other  members  of  the 


106  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

family,  or  who  may  be  disposed  to  contract  an  alliance 
\vhich  they  will  not  approve.  This,  too,  is  probably  a 
remote  cause  of  many  entering  convents  in  this  country. 

Very  well ;  now  let  us  take  a  Convent,  whose  inmates 
have  been  brought  together  from  causes  like  the  above. 
There  are  the  aged,  the  middle  aged,  the  young,  the  ar- 
dent, the  beautiful.  Thus  much  concerning  them  we  all 
know. 

But  one  of  these  communities  issues,  through  their 
Superior,  to  the  community  in  which  it  is  situated,  pro- 
posals for  taking  young  ladies  as  inmates  in  their  dwell- 
ing, and  educating  them  there.  This  is  all  well  enough. 
But  now  suppose  a  Protestant  parent,  before  committing 
his  daughters  to  their  guardianship,  visits  the  Con  vent  to 
learn  something  of  its  character.  He  finds  it  situated  in 
a  retired  place,  surrounded  with  a  high  wall,  embosomed 
in  luxurious  groves.  All  the  charms  of  nature  and  art 
are  combined  to  render  its  retreat  inviting,  and  its  bovvers 
alluring.  Into  one  only  room  can  the  visitant  have  ac- 
cess. Labyrinthian  passages,  in  various  directions,  lead 
to  apartments  never  to  be  profaned  by  a  Protestant  eye. 
All  here  is  seclusion  and  mystery.  These  doors  are 
locked ;  and  neither  parent,  brother,  friend,  nor  even 
sister,  can  turn  the  key.  Yet  to  this  rigid  exclusion  there 
is  one  exception.  The  Catholic  Priest  is  privileged  to 
come  at  all  hours,  and  on  all  occasions  as  may  suit  his 
convenience.  He  has  the  '  open  sesame,'  before  which 
the  dcor  of  every  department  flies  open,  and  admits  him 
to  familiar,  unrestrained  intercourse  with  its 'inmates. 
But  who  is  the  Catholic  Priest  ?  Is  he  aged,  venerable  1 
Is  he  even  a  married  man  1  No  ;  he  is  (or  may  be)  a 
young  man,  and  like  those  whom  he  visits  bound  by  his 
vow  to  a  life  of  celibacy.  And  whatever  his  vow  may 
have  been,  his  looks  show  abundantly  that  fasting,  pen 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  107 

ance,  and  mortifying  of  the  body  make  no  part  of  his 
practice.  His  is  not  the  lean  and  subdued  countenance  of 
the  penitent,  but  the  jolly  visage  of  the  sensualist  rather. 
Alas !  for  the  ladies  of  the  convent,  if  his  vow  of  chastity 
is  kept  no  better  -than  his  vow  of  poverty  and  penance. 
And  what  reason  have  we  to  suppose  it  is  ?  If  he  vio- 
late it  in  one  case,  why  not  in  the  other  ?  The  tempta- 
tion is,  at  least,  as  great. 

We  will  present  this  subject  in  a  little  different  light. — 
Suppose  a  dozen  young  ministers  from  the  Theological 
Seminary  of  Princeton,  having  just  been  ordained,  should 
come  out  and  take  up  their  abode  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 
Supposing  some  one  of  our  wealthy  citizens,  or,  if  you 
please,  citizens  of  Boston,  or  New  York,  should  furnish 
them  with  the  funds  requisite  to  put  up  a  building  in  some 
retired  place  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town — supposing  the 
building  finished — furnished — enclosed  with,  a  high  wall, 
evidently  intended  for  exclusion.  Suppose  now  the 
young  gentlemen  advertise  in  the  newspapers  of  the  city, 
that  they  have  brought  with  them  from  Boston  a  dozen 
young  ladies,  who  have  each  made  a  solemn  promise 
that  they  will  never  marry,  and  that  these  ladies  are  now 
in  the  newly  erected  building,  prepared  to  open  a  school, 
and  to  receive  female  pupils  as  boarders.  Suppose  they 
also  should  make  it  known  that  these  young  ladies  had 
chosen  one  of  their  own  number — or  perhaps  the  arrange- 
ment might  be  that  they  should  take  turns  in  performing 
this  office,  but  always  so  that  but  one  at  a  time  should  be 
at  the  house — to  be  their  father  confessor,  and  that  he 
was  to  have  access  to  their  dwelling  at  any  or  all  times, 
coming  and  going  unquestioned,  and  that  he,  or  certainly 
his  fellows,  were  to  be  the  only  males  who  should  have 
access  to,  or  authority  in,  the  establishment.  All  this 
being  perfectly  understood,  let  us,  for  the  last  time,  sup- 


108  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

pose  that  one  of  these  young  gentlemen  should  go  round 
to  the  respectable  families  of  our  city,  and  solicit  that 
their  daughters  might  become  the  inmates,  as  pupils,  of 
their  establishment.  What  reception  would  he  be  likely 
to  meet  with  ?  How  many  young  ladies  would  he  be 
likely  to  collect  for  his  school  1 

Yet,  gentle  reader,  suppose  all  the  above  conditions 
fulfilled,  and  you  have  a  Protestant  CONVENT,  or  NUN- 
NERY, formed,  in  all  its  essential  features,  on  the  most 
approved  model  of  the  Romanists.  Who  would  trust  a 
dozen  Protestant  ministers,  under  such  circumstances  as 
these  1  No  one.  And,  indeed,  the  very  fact,  that  they 
asked  to  be  trusted  would  prove  them  all  unworthy.  But 
do  the  annals  of  the  Church  show  that  the  Popish  priest- 
hood are  more  worthy  of  trust,  purer,  holier  than  the 
Protestant  clergy  ?  Read  '  Scipio  de  Ricci,'  and  '  Blan- 
co White  ;'  read  '  Secreta  Monita'  of  the  Jesuits,  '  Bow- 
er's History  of  the  Popes,'  and  '  Text  Book  of  Popery,' 
or  if  these  will  not  convince,  read  Hume,  Gibbon,  Rob- 
ertson, and  even  Lingard  himself — read  Roscoe's  Leo 
the  Tenth  ;  nay  their  own  approved  manuals  of  faith  and 
practice.  Read  these  and  know  that  corruption,  rank 
and  foul,  has  always  steamed  and  is  now  steaming  from 
the  thousand  monasteries,  convents,  and  nunneries,  that 
are  spread,  like  so  many  plague  spots,  over  the  surface 
of  Europe. 

We  do  not  say,  for  we  do  not  believe,  that  they  have 
reached  the  same  degree  of  pollution  in  this  country. 
Far  from  it. — and  yet  we  are  no  advocates  of,  or  believ- 
ers in,  their  immaculate  purity.  But  what  v/e  say  is  this, 
that  so  long  as  human  nature  remains  as  it  is,  so  long 
will  the  tendency,  the  unavoidable  tendency,  of  such  in- 
stitutions be  to  iniquity  and  corruption.  We  care  not  in 
whose  hands  they  are,  Popish  or  Protestant,  they  tempt 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  109 

to  sin  all  who  are  connected  with  them.  We  might 
even  admit  that  they  were  founded  with  good  intentions — 
which,  in  many  instances,  we  have  no  doubt  has  been 
the  case — and  still  our  objections  to  them  would  be  no 
whit  lessened.  Talk  of  vows  of  chastity,  in  chambers  of 
impenetrable  seclusion,  and  amidst  bowers  of  voluptuous- 
ness and  beauty  !  'Tis  a  shameful  mockery,  and  especi- 
ally with  the  records  of  history  spread  out  before  us. 
For  that  informs  us  that  the  Nunnery  has  generally  been 
neither  more  nor  less,  than  a  seraglio  for  the  friars  of  the 
monastery." 

WHY  DISCUSS  THE  SUBJECT  OF  POPERY* 

June  llth,  1835. 

"  WE  need  not  inform  our  readers  that  our  columns  have 
been,  for  some  months  past,  considerably  occupied  with 
the  discussion  of  Popery,  in  all  its  bearings,  civil,  and 
religious  ;  social  and  intellectual.  We  now  propose 
briefly,  to  state  the  reasons  why  we  have  thought  proper 
to  take  such  a  course. 

1.  It  is  not  to  gratify  any  personal  feelings  of  our  own. 
We  can  truly  say  that  there  is  not  a  single  individual,  a 
member  of  the  Romish  church,  towards  whom  we  have 
a  single  feeling  of  unkindness.     Many  of  them  in  thiss 
city,  have  been  our  personal  friends,  and  for   aught  we 
know  are  so  still — at  any  rate  we  are  theirs.     With  the 
Romish  clergy,  we  have  no  personal  acquaintance,  and 
towards  them,  as  individuals,  have  none  but  the  kindest 
feelings  of  good  will — it  being  our  daily  prayer  that  they 
may  see,  and  renounce,  the  dangerous  and  deadly  errors 
of  their  religious  creed. 

2.  It  is  not  that  we  distrust  the  patriotism  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Romish  church  in  this  city,  that  we  sound  the 

10 


1.10  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

alarm  of  danger  to  our  institutions  from  Popery.  There 
is  no  more  respectable  or  intelligent  portion  of  our  citi- 
zens, than  many  of  those  who  are  of  French  origin,  and 
who  are  either  nominally  or  really  members  of  the  Ro- 
mish church.  We  have  known  them  long,  and  bear  our 
willing  testimony  to  the  high  minded  and  honourable 
feelings  which  actuate  them  as  friends,  as  men  of  busi- 
ness, and  as  American  citizens.  They  are  republicans, 
in  the  genuine  sense  of  that  term,  and  there  is  no  class 
of  our  citizens  to  whom  we  would  more  readily  or  confi- 
dently entrust  the  guardianship  of  our  free  institutions 
We  do  not  believe  they  would  surrender  them  to  King, 
Bishop,  or  Pope.  Many  of  them  are  among  the  wealthi- 
est and  most  influential  of  our  citizens,  distinguished  for 
the  urbanity  of  their  manners,  the  hospitality  of  their 
houses,  and  those  other  social  virtues  that  so  favourably 
characterize  the  country  of  their  ancestors.  It  cannot 
therefore  be  for  the  purpose  of  injuring  any  of  this  class, 
that  we  denounce  the  tendencies  of  the  religion,  so  many 
of  them  profess. 

3.  It  is  not  for  the  sake  of  acquiring  popularity.  With 
a  great  majority  of  our  fellow-citizens,  the  course  we  have 
taken,  and  which  we  intend  to  pursue,  with  unabated 
vigour,  is  a  most  unpopular  one.  So  far  as  we  know, 
with  some  few  exceptions,  all  that  class  of  our  citizens 
who  may  be  called  nominal  Protestants,  are  entirely  and 
decidedly  opposed  to  our  course.  This  opposition  some- 
times— when  there  are  immediate  selfish  purposes  to  be 
gained — assumes  the  character  of  personal  hostility,  and 
an  open  stand  in  favour  of  Popery.  In  the  hearts  of  the 
ignorant,  and,  of  course,  bigoted  adherents  of  the  Romish 
church,  and  especially  in  those  of  its  Priests,  it  has  engen- 
dered, and  still  supplies  a  fountain  of  the  bitterest  and 
most  malignant  hatred,  which  weekly  discharges  itself 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  Ill 

upon  our  head,  in  an  undiluted  stream  of  vulgarity  and 
abuse.  Lastly,  there  are  many  of  our  brethren,  who 
view  the  matter  in  a  light  different  from  us,  and  from 
whom  we  receive  no  aid,  but  discouragement  rather,  and 
cold  regards.  At  the  East  it  is  different ;  but  where  our 
paper  circulates,  not  one  half  of  the  members  of  the  dif- 
ferent Protestant  churches,  are  awakened  to  a  sense  of  the 
danger  that  is  pressing  upon  us  from  the  increase  of  Pope- 
ry. By  many  of  our  fellow-citizens,  whom  we  respect,  and 
whose  good  opinion  we  highly  value,  we  are  called  bigot, 
fanatic,  intolerant,  quarrelsome  ;  and  besides  have  often 
to  encounter  the  cold  regrets  of  many  of  our  well-mean- 
ing, but  timid  brethren.  These  things  have  all  along 
been  seen  and  felt  by  us  ;  and  it  will  therefore  be  read- 
ily acknowledged  that  in  espousing  the  cause  we  have 
chosen,  we  did  it  not  for  the  sake  of  popularity,  or  of 
making  our  position  as  Editor,  an  easy  one. 

The  question  now  again  returns  :  why  then  choose 
such  a  position,  and  why  maintain  it  ?  Why  continue 
these  attacks  upon  the  tenets  of  Popery,  when  confess- 
edly many  unpleasant  consequences  will  result  ?  We 
are  now  prepared  to  give  this  question  a  short  and  de- 
cisive answer.  It  is  this.  We  maintain  our  warfare 
against  the  principles  and  dogmas  of  Popery,  because 

WE  BELIEVE  THE  CAUSE  OF  HUMANITY,  OF  FREEDOM,  OF 
VITAL  PIETY,  IN  A  WORD,  THE  CAUSE  OF  TRUTH,  DE- 
MANDS IT. 

Such  being  our  entire  and  undoubting  conviction,  we 
should  be  false  to  every  sentiment  we  profess,  a  recre- 
ant coward  in  defence  of  every  principle  we  hold  most 
dear,  should  we  lay  down  our  weapons  and  retire,  or 
permit  ourselves  to  be  driven  from  the  field.  The  con- 
test we  admit,  is  an  arduous  one  ;  we  have  to  bear  up 
against  a  host  of  opposing  influences,  that  would  long 


112  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

since  have  crushed  us,  had  we  not  been  upheld  by  an 
abiding  and  controlling  sense  of  duty.  Hitherto  that  has 
sustained  us,  and  by  the  grace  of  God  it  shall  still  sus- 
tain us,  in  our  conflict  with  the  '  Man  of  Sin,'  '  whose 
coming  is  after  the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  power, 
and  signs,  and  lying  wonders,'  until  the  LORD  shall  de- 
stroy him  '  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming.'  Then — 
if  it  come  in  our  day — will  we  lay  down  the  '  weapons 
of  our  warfare  ;'  if  not  we  shall  continue  to  '  right  the 
good  fight'  until  death,  assured  that  others  more  worthy 
will  finish,  what  we,  in  common  with  others,  were  hon- 
oured to  begin. 

One  word  more.  It  is  often  said — and  it  constitutes 
the  most  plausible  objection  we  have  heard — that  the 
discussion  of  this  subject  tends  to  introduce  unkind  feel- 
ings into  society,  to  create  jealousies,  ill-will,  and  dis- 
trust among  neighbours  and  fellow-citizens.  We  admit, 
and  regret,  but  cannot  help  this  consequence.  It  proves 
nothing,  however,  either  for  good  or  for  evil.  '  1  came 
not  to  send  peace  on  earth,'  said  the  Saviour,  '  but  a 
sword.'  Wherever  Paul  went,  preaching  the  gospel,  he 
was  accused  of  turning  society  '  upside  down ;'  and  the 
charge,  as  to  the  mere  fact,  though  not  in  the  evil  sense 
intended,  was  true.  Whoever  sets  himself,  firmly,  to 
breast  the  current  of  popular  sentiment,  will  find  at  once, 
its  waves  breaking  around  him  ;  and  in  proportion  to  the 
strength  of  the  current,  will  be  the  violence  of  their  on- 
set and  the  noise  of  their  roaring.  If  frightened  at  the 
outcry  and  clamour  of  those,  whose  easy  onward  pro- 
gress has  been  interrupted,  or  at  the  gathering  fury  of  the 
waters,  let  him  give  way  and  turn  and  swim  with  the 
stream — he  will  soon  find  a  perfect  calm  again.  Neither 
of  these  is  our  own  case.  We  took  our  stand  under  the 
firmest  convictions  of  duty,  coolly,  calmly,  deliberately  ; 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  113 

Having  counted  well  what  it  would  cost  to  maintain  it. 
Thes^  same  convictions  still  fix  us  there — where  we  ex- 
pect and  intend  to  remain,  until  the  Master  we  serve 
shall  call  us  away,  to  fill  our  place  with  one  more  de- 
voted to  his  interests,  and  more  skilled  to  contend  with 
his  enemies. 

P.  S.  We  were  writing  the  above  article,  in  our 
office,  on  Saturday  morning,  and  had  got  about  two-thirds 
of  the  way  through  it,  when  a  friend  stepped  in,  saying 

as  he  entered,  '  I  come  at  the  request  of  Mr. ,  to 

subscribe,  in  his  name,  for  the  '  Observer.'  He  says, 
that  while  so  many  of  the  Protestant  Newspapers  and 
Clergymen,  are  fearful  and  undetermined,  he  wishes  to 
give  his  support  and  countenance  to  a  paper  that  has  so 
boldly  set  itself  to  resist  the  tide  of  Popery,  which  is  now 

flowing  in  and  threatens  to  overwhelm  us.'  Mr. is 

a  Methodist  brother,  and  resides  in  Michigan  Territory. 

Now  this  incident  is  a  small  one  of  itself,  but  we  no- 
tice it  because  of  the  effect  it  had  upon  our  feelings,  par- 
ticularly in  reference  to  the  time  of  its  occurrence.  We 
could  not  but  regard  it  as  a  good  omen  ;  as  an  indication 
of  Providence,  that  our  course  in  this -matter  was  ap- 
proved." 

St.  Louis,  Aug.  27th,  1835. 

"  WE  recommend  to  the  '  Argus'  a  perusal  of  the  fol- 
lowing paragraph  copied  from  the  '  National  Gazette.' 
The  '  Argus'  has  taken  the  Catholics  into  his  special 
keeping.  Why  ?  Simply  because  he  wants  their  votes. 
Now  we  do  not  care  on  which  side  the  Catholic  votes, 
nor  to  which  party  he  belongs.  Nor  do  we  wish,  to 
touch  any  of  the  rights  belonging  to  any  class  of  citizens, 
Catholic  or  Protestant,  Jew  or  Mahometan.  But  what 
we  say,  and  maintain,  and  prove  by  undeniable  facts,  is, 
10* 


114  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

that  Popery  and  Freedom,  whether  civil  or  religious, 
are  incompatible  with  each  other — they  cannot  co-exist. 
What  we  warn  our  countrymen  to  be  on  their  guard 
against,  is,  the  hordes  of  ignorant,  uneducated,  vicious 
foreigners  who  are  now  flocking  to  our  shores,  and  who, 
under  the  guidance  of  Jesuit  Priests,  are  calculated,  fit- 
ted and  intended  to  subvert  our  liberties. 

But  the  '  Argus'  wishes  us  to  hold  our  peace  because 
it  wishes  religion  to  be  kept  entirely  unconnected  with 
politics.'  Doubtless,  doubtless  it  does.  Its  conduct 
shows  that  plain  enough.  But  we  can  tell  the  '  Ar- 
gus' that  it  is  for  this  very  reason  that  we  will  not  hold 
our  peace.  It  is  because  we  see  the  '  Argus'  and  other 
similar  politicians,  of  all  political  creeds  and  complex- 
ions, endeavouring  to  separate  religion  and  politics,  that 
we  labour  to  prevent  this  divorce.  We  wish  every  man 
when  he  votes,  to  do  it  in  the  fear  of  God  ;  and  that  is 
what  we  call  a  union  of  religion  and  politics.  And  it  is 
the  only  union  we  desire. 

Partisan  politics — for  why  should  we  not  speak  out  ] 
— are  operating  the  downfall  of  our  country.  Do  we 
accuse  one  party  more  than  another  ?  No.  We  see  a 
mournful  destitution  of  moral  principle  among  them  all. 
They  turn  with  the  veering  wind.  Look  at  the  New  York 
Courier  and  Enquirer.  Two  or  three  years  ago  it  was 
the  champion  of  Irishmen ;  it  would  not  suffer  a  word 
to  be  said  in  derogation  of  them  or  their  priests.  And 
why  ?  Simply  because  it  was  then  attached  to  that  part  - 
to  which  most  of  these  ignorant  foreigners  belonged 
But  the  Courier  has  since  changed  its  position,  and  is 
now  as  zealously  engaged  in  proclaiming  the  dangers  of 
Popery,  as  it  once  was  in  defending  it  from  all  attacks 
And  though  we  believe  that  it  is  now  on  the  right  side, 
BO  far  as  Popery  is  concerned,  yet  have  we  any  confi- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  115 

dence  in  such  a  co-adjutor  ?  None  at  all.  Self-inter- 
est, real  or  supposed,  placed  the  Courier  where  it  is, 
and  at  its  bidding  it  would  go  back  to  its  old  position. 

So  here,  in  our  own  city.  Unconnected  with  any  party, 
but  an  American  citizen,  and  as  such,  and  especially  as 
an  American  Christian,  deeply  interested  in  the  perpetu- 
ity of  our  free  institutions,  our  civil  and  religious  freedom, 
we  saw  the  encroachments  of  Popery  upon  both.  We 
saw  the  stealthy,  cat-like  step,  the  hyena  grin,  with 
which  the  '  Mother  of  Abominations,'  was  approaching 
the  Fountain  of  Protestant  Liberty,  that  she  might  cast 
into  it  the  poison  of  her  incantations,  more  accursed 
than  was  ever  seethed  in  the  Caldron  of  Hecate.  We 
saw,  too,  that  as  it  had  been  with  us,  so  it  still  was  with 
most  of  our  citizens — they  were  insensible  to  the  danger 
awaiting  them.  We  raised  the  alarm.  We  have  con- 
tinued to  sound  it  aloud  ;  and  we  have  the  unspeakable 
gratification  to  know  that  it  has  not  been  wholly  in  vain. 
In  the  discharge  of  this  sacred  duty,  owed  first  to 
our  GOD,  and  next  to  our  country,  we  have  had  nothing 
but  a  good  conscience  to  sustain  us.  Obloquy  and  re- 
proach have  been  our  portion  ;  and  who  has  ventured  to 
defend  us  ?  Not  a  single  political  press  of  any  party. 
Discordant  as  might  be  their  voices  in  other  matters, 
they  chimed  harmoniously  in  attacking  us,  and  defend- 
ing the  Papists.  Thus  the  '  Republican'  and  the  '  Ar- 
gus.' And  why?  Because  each  wanted  Catholic  votes. 
Well ;  the  '  Argus,'  it  seems,  has  got  them ;  and  the 
'  Republican'  now  says,  through  its  correspondents  at 
least,  the  very  things  against  Papists  which  it  abused  us 
for  saying  ;  while  the  '  Argus' redoubles  its  zeal  and  fury  in 
their  defence.  We  rejoice  at  the  stand  the  '  Republican' 
has  now  taken.  We  hope  it  will  have  courage  to  maintain 
it,  but  we  greatly  fear  the  contrary.  Let  history  be  consult- 


116  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOT. 

ed,  let  the  present  state  of  the  world  be  inspected,  and  the 
'  Republican'  will  find  that  in  no  way  can  it  render  so  ef- 
fectual a  service  to  its  country,  as  by  opposing  that  tre- 
mendous tide  of  foreign  emigration  which  even  now 
threatens  to  sweep  away  all  that  we  hold  dear. 

For  the  '  Argus, '  we  hope  the  lesson  it  has  just  re- 
ceived will  not  be  lost  upon  it.  Let  it  learn,  henceforth, 
to  pay  some  regard  to  principle  in  the  selection  of  its 
leaders.  The  great  mass  of  the  people  are  of  honest 
intentions.  They  may  be  deceived  and  deluded,  but;  in 
this  country,  they  cannot  well  be  corrupted.  If  no 
higher  principle,  therefore,  restrain  the  '  Argus  '  from  al- 
lying itself  to  Jesuitism,  let  it  at  least  be  restrained  by  the 
fear,  even  in  this,  of  being  thrown  into  a  minority.  And 
even  if  victorious,  depend  upon  it,  Mr.  -'  Argus,'  the  only 
reward  which  Jesuitism  would  give  you,  would  be  the 
same  which  Polyphemus  vouchsafed  to  Ulysses — that  of 
being  the  last  devoured." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


WE  come  now  to  the  subject  of  Slavery.  Articles 
upon  this  subject  were  occasionally  found  in  the  "  Obser- 
ver" from  the  beginning.  It  did  not,  however,  occupy  a 
larger  proportion  of  the  entire  sheet,  than  two  and  a  half 
millions  bear  to  fifteen  millions.  The  Editor  was,  during 
this  period,  thorougly  convinced  of  the  sin  of  Slavery, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  cherished  an  ardent  desire  to  see 
it  abolished.  But  he  was  seeking  a  point  where  these 
views,  and  opposition  to  immediate  abolition  might  be 
coincident.  To  discover  such  a  point,  he  framed  all  the 
moral  problems,  and  drew  the  figures  for  their  illustration, 
which  a  fertile  genius,  extensive  knowledge,  and  honest 
intentions  could  devise.  That  point,  however,  we  hardly 
need  say,  he  never  found.  Thousands  made  the  same 
experiments  before  him,  and  many  are  continuing  these 
attempts,  destined,  we  doubt  not,  to  the  same  disappoint- 
ment. It  is  devoutly  to  be  hoped,  that  with  equal  frank- 
ness they  will  acknowledge  their  mistake,  and  come 
forth  and  stand  upon  the  immoveable  basis  of  everlasting 
Truth.  One  thing  always  gave  us  pleasure,  while  we 
differed  in  opinion  from  our  brother  upon  this  subject, — 
he'  ever  appeared  to  act  up  to  the  light  which  shone 
upon  his  path.  When,  therefore,  he  saw  that  immediate 
abolition  was  the  only  ground  on  which  to  stand,  and 
move  the  mass  of  cruelty,  injustice,  and  corruption  which 
the  word  Slavery  imports,  he  placed  himself  upon  it,  and 
here  '  he  conquered,  though  he  fell.' 


118  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

We  shall  now  give  such  extracts  from  the  editorial 
pen  as  will  exhibit  his  sentiments,  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  treated  this  subject. 

SLAVERY. 

June,  1834. 

"Tnis  subject  is  one  which  has  always,  since  we 
have  known  any  thing  of  the  Southern  and  Slave-holding 
Western  States,  been  regarded  as  exceedingly  delicate 
and  difficult  of  management.  We  feel  it  to  be  so  at  the 
moment  of  penning  these  remarks.  Not  because — as 
some  of  our  Abolitionist  brethren  will  charge  us — we  fear 
the  truth,  and  are  unwilling  to  perform  our  duty,  but,  be- 
cause there  is  real  difficulty  in  ascertaining  what  that 
duty  is.  The  man  who  has  been  reared  in  the  midst  of 
Slavery,  and  acquainted  with  the  system  from  his  earli- 
est infancy,  who  regards  the  coloured  man  as  part  of  the 
estate  bequeathed  to  him  by  his  parents,  and  his  right 
over  him  guaranteed  by  the  constitution  of  his  country, 
becomes  excited,  when  any  one  denies  this  right,  and 
lays  down  ethical  principles  for  his  government,  that,  in 
their  operation,  must  beggar  him.  Nor  is  this  all ;  he 
finds  himself  the  subject  of  bitter  invective  and  unmea- 
sured denunciation.  As  a  man,  stripped  of  all  honourable 
pretension,  and  made  a  participant  with  the  heartless 
man-stealer,  whose  crime  he  abhors.  As  a  Christian, 
denounced  and  accounted  a  profaner  of  the  symbols  of 
his  holy  religion.  Held  up  to  society  as  a  monster  in 
human  shape,  a  tyrant  who  delights  in  the  pangs  inflicted 
upon  his  fellow-man.  We  have  never  wondered  that 
under  such  circumstances,  it  should  be  an  exciting  sub- 
ject— he  must  be  more  than  human  who  would  not  be 
sensible  of  the  recoil  in  his  feelings.  He  may  at  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  119 

same  time  be  wrong.  But  his  early  associations — his 
prejudices,  are  all  upon  the  side  of  long  established 
opinions ;  and  hence  it  should  hardly  be  expected,  that 
at  the  first  glance,  he  should  see  the  truth  as  one  differ- 
ently situated  may  see  it,  and  instantly  espousing  the 
opinion  of  the  opposite  party,  give  an  evidence  of  his 
sincerity  that  the  other  was  never  called  to  give,  by  pass- 
ing immediately  from  affluence  to  poverty.  In  all  con- 
troversies there  is  a  strong  tendency  in  the  parties  to 
take  extreme  ground — so  in  this — and  hence  he  finds 
himself  charged  with  views  and  feelings,  and  base  mo- 
tives for  his  opposition,  which  he  is  at  the  moment  con- 
scious he  does  not  possess,  and  which  the  very  man  who 
presses  the  charge  against  him,  in  his  cooler  moments, 
would  not  think  of  making.  Certain  it  is,  that  in  this 
controversy,  no  one  will  be  persuaded  by  naked  denun- 
ciation or  misrepresentations — but  cool  and  temperate 
argument,  supported  by  facts,  must  perform  the  work. 

It  has  been  with  pain  that  we  have  seen  recently  the 
heated  and  angry  meetings  and  discussions,  which  have 
taken  place,  amongst  our  eastern  brethren  of  the  Abolition 
and  Colonization  parties.  Though  we  have  certainly 
our  own  preference  on  this  subject,  yet,  eschewing  the 
papacy,  as  we  do,  we  are  not  disposed  to  set  up  our 
claims  to  infallibility  in  his  stead,  and  always  regret 
when  we  see  good  brethren  take  such  a  stand.  That 
the  recent  movement  in  Great  Britain  and  the  West  In- 
dies, could  take  place  and  leave  us  xmaflected,  we  never 
supposed — that  it  must  work  changes  in  our  system,  we 
did  then  and  do  still  believe,  but  the  danger  is  in  the 
manner  in  which  that  change  is  to  brought  about.  That 
Slavery  is  a  curse,  politically  and  morally,  to  every  state 
where  it  exists,  is  a  sentiment  to  which  the  South  and 
West  respond.  And  this  response  is  given  by  the  Slave- 


120  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

holder,  with  a  deeper  and  more  experimental  conviction 
in  the  South  than  in  the  East.  The  great  desideratum 
with  the  reflecting  in  both  sections  of  the  country,  is  to 
get  rid  of  the  evil.  Now,  starting  upon  the  same  premi- 
ses, it  is  to  be  regretted  that  such  widely  different  con- 
clusions should  be  arrived  at,  and  still  more,  that  angry 
feelings  should  be  elicited  in  the  contest. 

We  have  read  the  declaration  of  the  Abolition  Conven- 
vention  held  in  Philadelphia,  and  also  of  the  Lane  Semi- 
nary, and  felt  prepared  to  adopt,  in  the  main,  the  abstract 
principles  set  forth  by  them.  With  the  means  by  which 
they  declare  they  will  seek  the  accomplishment  of  their 
object — the  dissemination  of  light,  thereby  creating  a 
correct  public  opinion — we  are  satisfied.  But  the  danger 
is,  that  the  friends  of  abolition  will  not  strictly  adhere  to 
these  terms,  and  thereby  excite  prejudices  and  bitterness. 
We  infer  this  from  the  overstrained  and  highly  wrought 
picture  that  was  presented  at  Lane  Seminary  by  some 
zealous  and  heated  young  men,  under  the  temptation  that 
it  would  be  popular  to  make  a  good  speech,  and  which 
statements  have  gone  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 
From  the  examination  of  Thomas  C.  Brown,  a  disappointed 
emigrant,  in  New  York,  in  which  he  was  compelled  to 
retract  much  that  he  had  previously  detailed  to  the  injury 
of  the  Colony  at  Liberia — and  from  the  heated  speeches 
of  some  good  men  at  the  late  anniversaries  in  that  city. 
When  means  like  these  are  resorted  to,  whatever  the 
effect  may  be  in  the  East,  in  the  South  and  West  they 
are  calculated  to  recoil,  and  produce  a  want  of  confidence 
in  the  efforts  of  good  men.  Still,  we  believe  that  the 
Abolitionists  have  done  good.  They  have  aroused  the 
country  to  more  reflection  on  the  subject.  They  have 
detected  defects  in  the  management  of  the  Colonization 
Society — and  they  have,  by  showing  that  society  tha 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  121 

they  will  -hereafter  be  watched  with  Argus  eyes,  secured 
the  better  conduct  of  its  affairs.  But  why  wage  a  war 
of  extermination  upon  a  kindred  institution  ?  Will  the 
sending  away  to  the  land  of  their  fathers  of  some  hun- 
dreds of  manumitted  slaves  and  free  persons  of  colour, 
annually,  prevent  the  rise  of  public  opinion  in  favour  of 
abolition  1  If  it  is  said  that  free  persons  do  not  wish  to 
leave  the  soil — it  is  well — let  them  remain.  The  Colo- 
nization Society  compels  no  one  to  go.  Admit  that  our 
laws  are  unjust  in  the  heavy  load  of  disabilities  which 
they  impose  upon  the  colored  man — and  that  those  are  the 
compelling  power — the  Society  did  not  make  the  laws, 
but  taking  the  statutes  as  they  were,  they  provided  a 
home  where  these  disabilities  were  unknown.  If  it  is 
said  this  Society  does  not  provide  an  effectual  remedy 
for  the  evil,  and  hence  it  is  a  waste  of  funds  that  might 
be  better  employed  Why  not  permit  it  to  go  as  far  as  it 
can  ?  A.nd  what  prospect  is  there  that  if  these  funds  are 
diverted  from  their  present  channel  they  will  flow  into 
another  that  is  better?  Surely  the  Abolitionists  can 
have  no  hope  that  their  coffers  would  be  supplied  by  the 
friends  of  Colonization  in  the  South  and  West. 

But  we  will  not  extend  our  remarks.  Our  object  is 
peace  and  concert  in  action  with  every  good  man,  in 
every  good  work.  We  are  not  sensible  that  we  possess 
any  prejudices  upon  the  subject.  We  do  not  promise  by 
any  means,  that  we  shall  not  become  an  Abolitionist, 
strictly,  at  some  future  day,  and  see  the  necessity  of  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  our  worthy  brother  Cox,  in  for- 
saking the  Colonization  enterprise,  but  arguments  of  suf- 
ficient weight  must  be  laid  before  us  in  order  to  this  con- 
summation." 


•d"]' 


122  MEMOIR  OF  THE 


SLAVERY. 

April  16th,  1835. 

"  WE  ask  from  every  professor  of  Christianity — as 
also  from  all  others — a  careful,  candid,  and  prayerful  pe- 
rusal of  the  article  on,  our  first  page  on  this  subject.  It 
is  from  the  pen  of  one*  who  is  entitled  to  be  heard  in  the 
case  ;  inasmuch  as  having  been  a  slave  holder  once,  he 
has  ceased  to  be  such  by  emancipating  all  his  slaves. 
The  main  principles,  facts  and  inferences  stated  by  the 
writer,  we  are  so  far  from  questioning  that  we  believe 
them  entirely  correct.  '  How  hardly  shall  they  that  have 
riches  be  saved,'  said  One  who  perfectly  well  knew  the 
principles  by  which  the  human  mind  operated  and  was 
operated  upon.  For  the  same  reason  though  found  in 
the  opposite  extreme,  we  may  say  how  hardly  shall  they 
that  are  slaves  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  In 
either  case  there  is  nothing  which  absolutely  forbids 
heaven  to  either  class,  or  which  renders  it  of  itself  more 
difficult  of  attainment,  yet  judging  from  analogy  and  from 
the  results  of  experience,  we  are  enabled  confidently  to 
predict  that  not  '  many  wise,  not  many  noble,'  and  not 
many  ignorant  slaves,  will  make  their  way  through  the 
difficulties  that  surround  their  positions,  to  a  heaven  of 
disinterestedness  and  intelligence. 

While  therefore  we  cordially  adopt  the  main  senti- 
ments of  our  correspondent,  and  would  affectionately,  yet 
urgently,  press  them  upon  our  Christian  readers  as  a 
reason  why  they  should  introduce  a  thorough  change  in 
their  manner  of  treating,  or  rather  neglecting,  their  slaves, 

•  The  article  is  signed  '  N.'  presumed  to  be  from  Dr.  Nelson. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  123 

so  far  as  religious  instruction  is  concerned ;  we  do  not 
believe  that  this  change  ought  to  be  immediate  and  un- 
conditional emancipation.  We  are  entirely  convinced  that 
such  a  course  would  be  cruel  to  the  slave  himself,  and 
injurious  to  the  community  at  large.  But  something 
must  be  done  and  done  speedily  on  this  all-important 
subject.  While  Christians  have  been  slumbering  over  it, 
the  eye  of  God  has  not  slumbered,  nor  has  his  Justice 
been  an  indifferent  spectator  of  the  scene.  The  groans, 
and  sighs,  and  tears,  and  blood  of  the  poor  slave  have 
gone  up  as  a  memorial  before  the  throne  of  Heaven.  In 
due  time  they  will  descend  in  awful  curses  upon  this 
land,  unless  averted  by  the  speedy  repentance  of  us  all. 

Look  at  the  manner  in  which  our  sister  state,  Louisi- 
ana, is  treating  her  slaves  !  Why,  as  surely  as  there  is  a 
thunderbolt  in  Heaven  and  strength  in  God's  right  arm 
to  launch  it,  so  surely  will  it  strike  the  authors  of  such 
cruel  oppression.  Look,  too,  at  the  slave-drivers,  who 
go  up  and  down  our  own  streets,  lifting  their  heads  and 
moving  among  us  unshamed,  unrebuked — as  if  they  had 
not  forfeited  all  claim  to  the  name  of  MAN.  All  abhor 
the  traffic,  and  detest  the  wretch  who  pursues  it ;  why 
then  is  he  not  driven  from  the  face  of  day,  and  made  to 
hide  himself  in  some  dark  corner,  whose  murky  gloom 
might  faintly  emblem  the  savage  darkness  of  his  own 
heart  ?  Why  1  simply  because  public  sentiment  has 
never  been  aroused  to  think  on  the  subject.  If  the  laws 
protect  the  miscreant  who  coins  his  wealth  out  of  the 
heart's  blood  of  his  fellow  creatures,  he  can  at  least  be 
crushed  beneath  the  odium  of  public  opinion. 

There  is  another  fact  we  wish  to  introduce  in  this 
place.  It  is  this.  Congress,  acting  only  as  the  organ  of 
public  opinion,  has  pronounced  the  slave  trade  from  the 
coast  of  Africa  piracy.  Those  engaged  in  it  are  punish- 


124  MEMOIR  OP  THE 

able  with  death.  From  a  statement  given  in  the  Journal 
of  Commerce,  it  appears,  that  last  November  there  were 
no  less  than  FORTY  EIGHT  slave  vessels  on  the  African 
coast  engaged  in  this  nefarious  traffic.  It  was  supposed 
these  vessels  would  carry  off  at  least  20,000  victims  — 
victims  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  to  tyranny,  brutality, 
and  lust.  It  also  appears  that  many  of  these  poor 
wretches  eventually  land  in  the  United  States,  by  way 
of  Cuba,  and  other  Spanish  Islands.  Particularly  is  it  to 
be  feared  and  supposed  that  many  of  them  are  smuggled 
into  Louisiana.  Now,  although  the  system  of  domestic 
Slavery  is  not  necessarily  connected  with  this  foreign 
piratical  trade,  yet  no  one  can  deny  that  it  tends  greatly 
to  encourage  it.  And  no  one  can  deny,  that  if  domestic 
Slavery  should  cease  throughout  Christendom,  the  slave 
trade  from  Africa  would  cease  of  course.  We  mention 
these  things  as  affording  strong  incidental  reasons  for 
action  among  ourselves  at  home.  Above  all  the  rest,  the 
same  paper  states  that  there  is  no  doubt  a  slave  vessel 
left  New  York  a  few  days  since. 

In  this  connexion  it  gives  us  heart-felt  pleasure  to  in- 
troduce the  following  extract  from  the  '  Republican'  of 
Friday  last.  The  Editors  are  referring  to  the  Conven- 
tion about  to  be  called  for  the  purpose  of  amending  our 
Constitution.  With  the  sentiments  of  the  extract  we 
most  cordially  concur,  and  hope  the  Editors  will  not  fail 
to  keep  the  subject  before  their  readers  till  the  time  for 
action  shall  arrive.  And  who  are  the  individuals  or  in- 
dividual, who  will  make  it  their  business  between  the 
present  time  and  the  time  for  voting,  to  arouse  and  en- 
lighten public  sentiment  on  this  great  subject  ?  What  a 
glorious  opportunity  is  now  offered  to  such  a  one — an 
opportunity  such  as  will  not  be  likely  again  to  arise  for 
centuries  to  come — to  confer  a  lasting,  an  unspeakable 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  125 

benefit  upon  the  citizens  of  this  state,  of  this  republic, 
and  upon  the  cause  of  universal  humanity !  Is  it  too 
much  to  ask  of  Christians,  that  they  will  ask  the  Lord, 
in  fervent,  importunate  prayer,  to  send  such  a  labourer  into 
the  field  of  this  stale  ?  We  do  not  want  a  man  from  the 
northern  or  middle  states  ;  we  want  one  who  has  him- 
self been  educated  in  the  midst  of  Slavery,  who  has  al- 
ways lived  in  contact  with  it,  who  knows,  experimental- 
ly, all  its  evils,  and  all  its  difficulties — one  who  will  not 
lift  his  head  up  into  the  region  of  abstract  speculation, 
and  in  the  loftiness  of  his  pride,  in  a  beautiful  theory,  dis- 
dain alike  to  make  acquaintance  with  facts  and  with  com- 
mon sense.  To  such  a  man  a  golden  opportunity  of 
doing  good  is  offered.  We  believe  the  minds  of  the  good 
people  of  this  state  are  fully  prepared  to  listen  to  him — 
to  give  a  dispassionate  consideration  to  the  facts  and 
reasonings  he  might  present  connected  with  the  subject 
of  Slavery.  Public  sentiment,  amongst  us,  is  already 
moving  in  this  great  matter — it  now  wants  to  be  directed 
in  some  defined  channel,  to  some  definite  end. 

Taken  all  in  all,  there  is  not  a  state  in  this  Union  pos- 
sessing superior  natural  advantages  to  our  own.  At  pre- 
sent, Slavery,  like  an  incubus,  is  paralyzing  our  energies, 
and  like  a  cloud  of  evil  portent,  darkening  all  our  pros- 
pects. Let  this  be  removed,  and  Missouri  would  at  once 
start  forward  in  the  race  of  improvement,  with  an  energy 
and  rapidity  of  movement,  that  would  soon  place  her  in 
the  front  rank  along  with  the  most  favoured  of  her  sister 
states. 

But  we  stay  too  long  from  the  extract  from  the  '  Re- 
publican.' 

'  We  look  to  the  Convention  as  a  happy  means  of  re- 
lieving the  state,  at  some  future  day,  of  an  evil  which  is 
destroying  all  our  wholesome  energies,  and  leaving  us, 


126  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

in  morals,  in  enterprise,  and  in  wealth,  behind  the  neigh- 
bouring states.  We  mean,  of  course,  the  curse  of  Slavery. 
We  are  not  about  to  make  any  attack  upon  the  rights  of 
those  who  at  present  hold  this  description  of  property. 
They  ought  to  be  respected  to  the  letter.  We  only  pro- 
pose, that  measures  shall  now  be  taken  for  the  ABOLITION 
OF  SLAVERY,  at  such  distant  period  of  time  as  may  be 
thought  expedient,  and  eventually  for  ridding  the  country 
altogether  of  a  coloured  population.  The  plan  has  been 
adopted  in  other  states,  and  they  hare  been  effectually 
relieved  from  the  incubus  which,  even  now,  is  weighing 
us  down.  With  no  decided  advantage  in  soil,  climate, 
productions,  or  facilities,  the  free  states  have  shot  far 
ahead  of  those  in  which  Slavery  is  tolerated.  We  need 
go  no  further  than  Ohio  and  Kentucky  for  an  illustration 
of  this  assertion.  For  ourselves,  if  this  one  principle 
shall  be  adopted,  whatever  may  be  the  errors  of  the  Con- 
vention— no  matter  with  how  many  absurdities  the  Con- 
stitution may  abound,  we  shall  gladly  overlook  them  all. 
To  secure  so  important  a  benefit,  we  must  set  about  it  at 
once.  Now  is  the  time  for  action.  The  evil  of  which 
we  are  speaking,  may  be  arrested  in  its  incipient  stage. 
It  is  perhaps  the  last  time  we  shall  have  an  opportunity 
of  attempting  it.  And  we  call  upon  all  citizens,  of  what- 
ever rank,  sect,  or  party,  to  aid  in  this  good  and  glorious 
work.  It  is  one  in  which  all,  laying  aside  minor  contro- 
versies and  considerations,  may  unite,  and  all  may  exert 
a  favourable  influence.  Let  us  to  the  work,  then,  firmly 
and  heartily !' " 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  127 


SLAVERY. 

April  30th,  1835. 

"  THERE  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  subject  in  its  various 
bearings  will  occupy  much  of  the  attention  of  the  good 
people  of  this  state,  the  ensuing  season.  We  take  it  for 
granted  there  will  be  a  convention  of  the  people,  at  the 
time  designated  by  our  Legislature,  (next  December,)  for 
the  purpose  of  amending  our  constitution.  This  Con- 
vention will  afford  an  opportunity  for  again  deciding  the 
question  whether  Missouri  shall  hereafter  be  a  free,  or 
continue  a  slave  state.  We  look  upon  this  question  as 
one  of  more  importance  than  we  have  words  to  express. 
And  in  its  discussion  and  final  decision  by  the  Conven- 
tion, we  feel  how  much  need  there  is  of  mutual  forbear- 
ance among  all  those  who  shall  have  a  word  to  say  on 
the  subject — as  well  as  the  exercise  of  that  calm,  saga- 
cious, patriotic  foresight  which  looks  to  the  good  of  the 
whole  community,  and  consults  for  the  good  of  future  as 
of  present  generations. 

Let  an  unbiased,  intelligent  decision  of  our  fellow- 
citizens  in  the  matter  be  had,  and  we  have  no  fears  of 
the  result.  We  know,  very  well,  that  a  right  decision 
of  the  case,  will,  in  many  instances,  have  to  be  made  in 
the  face  of  immediate  personal  interest ;  but  we  look 
with  confidence  to  the  intelligence,  the  good  sense,  and 
moral  justice  of  our  citizens,  as  fully  adequate  to  the 
crisis. 

Slavery,  as  it  exists  among  us,  admits  of  being  con- 
sidered in  a  three-fold  view — in  a  civil,  a  religious,  and 
a  moral  view.  Considered  in  any  of  these  lights,  it  is 
demonstrably  an  evil.  In  every  community  where  it  ex- 
ists, it  presses  like  a  night-mare  on  the  body  politic.  Or, 


128  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

like  the  vampyre,  it  slowly  and  imperceptibly  sucks 
away  the  life-blood  of  society,  leaving  it  faint  and  dis- 
heartened to  stagger  along  the  road  of  improvement. 
Look  at  Virginia — that  noble  commonwealth,  the  mother 
of  states  and  great  men — how  strikingly  does  her  pre- 
sent condition  illustrate  the  truth  of  this  sentiment ! 

The  evils  of  Slavery  in  a  moral  and  religious  point  of 
view,  need  not  be  told  ;  they  are  seen,  and  palpable,  by 
all.  It  becomes  us  as  a  Christian  people,  as  those  who 
believe  in  the  future  retribution  of  a  righteous  Providence, 
to  remove  from  our  midst  an  institution,  no  less  the  cause 
of  moral  corruption  to  the  master  than  to  the  slave.  It 
surely  cannot  be  thought  wrong,  to  press  such  a  notion 
as  this  upon  the  consideration  of  our  fellow-citizens. 

Gradual  emancipation  is  the  remedy  we  propose.  This 
we  look  upon  as  the  only  feasible,  and  indeed,  the  only 
desirable  way  of  effecting  our  release  from  the  thraldom 
in  which  we  are  held.  In  the  mean  time,  the  rights  of 
all  classes  of  our  citizens  should  be  respected,  and  the 
work  be  proposed,  carried  on,  and  finished,  as  one  in 
which  all  classes  of  our  citizens  are  alike  interested,  and 
in  which  all  may  alike  be  called  upon  to  make  sacrifices 
of  individual  interests  to  the  general  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. 

There  is,  however,  another  matter — and  we  mention 
it  here,  lest  our  silence  may  be  misinterpreted — con- 
nected with  this  subject,  which  admits,  nay,  demands  a 
very  different  mode  of  treatment.  We  mean  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  relations  subsisting  between  Christians 
and  their  slaves  are  fulfilled.  Here  the  reform  ought  to 
be  thorough  and  immediate.  There  is  no  possible  plea 
which  can  afford  excuse  for  a  moment's  delay.  On  this 
point,  we  expect  to  have  much  to  say  ;  and  we  hope  our 
readers  will  bear  in  mind — and  thus  save  themselves 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY-  129 

from  confounding  our  arguments  on  the  two  points — that 
while  on  the  general  subject  of  Slavery  we  are  decidedly 
gradual,  on  this  part  of  it  we  are  as  decidedly  immediate 
Abolitionists.  It  is  fearfully  true  that  many  professed 
Christians  habitually  treat  their  slaves  as  though  they 
had  no  immortal  souls,  and  it  is  high  time  such  a  prac- 
tice as  this  were  abolished" 


LETTER  FROM  THE  EDITOR. 

Mississippi  River,  May,  2lst,  1835. 

"  WE  hare  just  swung  from  our  moorings,  and  are  going 
up  to  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  to  take  in  some  passen- 
gers. What  glorious  prospects'  are  opening  before  the 
city  of  St.  Louis  !  The  time  cannot  be  far  distant  when 
it  will  be  enthroned,  without  a  rival,  the  Queen  of  the 
West.  Already,  Front  Street  is,  I  should  think,  more 
than  a  mile  in  length.  Seventeen  Steamboats,  among 
which  were  the  mammouth  Mogul,  and  the  unfortunate 
Majestic,  line  its  shores  this  morning.  The  whole  quay 
is  covered  with  merchandize  and  alive  with  the  bustle  of 
business.  One  boat  was  discharging  freight,  another 
was  receiving  it  ;  here  was  one  with  her  flag  floating  in 
the  wind,  indicating  that  she  was  soon  to  depart,  and 
there  another  whose  bell  was  calling  all  on  board,  who 
did  not  choose  to  be  left  behind — here  was  one  blowing 
off,  and  there  another  raising  her  steam.  Altogether,  the 
scene  was  a  most  animated  and  animating  one. 

One  thing  depressed  my  spirits.  It  was  the  moral  con- 
dition of  a  large  portion  of  those  whom  I  saw.  As  I 
passed  up  and  down  the  quay,  among  the  busy,  hurry- 
ing multitude,  the  drunkeries  and  drinking  I  witnessed, 
the  oaths  and  the  obscene  blasphemies  I  heard,  caused 


130  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

my  spirits  to  sink  within  me.  I  felt  assured,  too,  that 
Christians  in  St.  Louis,  were  not  doing  enough — are 
they  doing  any  thing? — for  the  boatmen  ia  our  harbour. 
I  fear  these  last  may  truly  say,  '  No  man  careth  for  our 
souls.' 

As  we  rounded  to,  and  approached  the  shore  of  our 
sister  state,  a  little  below  the  city,  we  saw  several  little 
children  at  play  upon  the  river's  bank.  Some  one  in  the 
company  remarked,  '  That  is  a  land  of  liberty !'  Now 
the  subject  of  slavery  had  not  been  mentioned,  and  the 
fact  that  such  a  thought  was  suggested  by  the  very  sight 
of  the  soil  of  Illinois,  shows  that  the  atmosphere  of  sla- 
very is  an  unnatural  one  for  Americans  to  live  in.  The 
institution  is  repugnant  to  the  very  first  principles  of  lib- 
erty. The  remark  was  the  more  worthy  of  notice  as 
coming  from  one  who  has  for  many  years,  even  from 
infancy,  resided  in  a  slave  state,  and  who  is  the  owner  of 
slaves  ?  I  envy  not  the  prosperity  of  our  sister  state, 
Illinois  :  I  rejoice  in  it  the  rather,  and  look  forward  with 
delight  to  the  period,  and  that  not  far  distant,  when  the 
busy  hum  of  industry  shall  be  heard  over  all  her  prai- 
ries, while  schools,  colleges,  and  religious  temples,  shall 
adorn  and  strengthen  the  institutions  of  TWO  MILLIONS 
of  freemen.  Yet  when  contemplating  this  glorious  and 
exciting  spectacle,  I  cannot  help  saying,  with  a  half  sup- 
pressed sigh  of  despondency,  '  Oh !  that  Missouri,  my 
own  beloved  state,  were  in  a  condition  to  compete  for  the 
prize  of  such  renown  ?'  And  why  may  she  not  ?  What 
nobler  race  of  men  exists  in  this  wide  world,  than  those 
who  have  followed  Daniel  Boone  from  the  blood-bought 
fields  of  Kentucky,  and  pitched  their  tabernacles  in 
Missouri  ?  Alas  !  the  single  word  SLAVERY,  tells  us 
why.  So  long  as  that  remains  amongst  us,  we  may  long 
for  those  improvements  in  art,  science,  and  the  habits  of 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY  131 

social  life,  which  mark  a  rapidly  advancing  community, 
but  they  can  never  be  ours.  These  are  the  rewards  of 
well-directed  industry  alone. 

I  look  forward  to  the  approaching  Convention  in  our 
state  with  more  solicitude  than  I  have  words  to  express. 
It  does  seem  to  me  a  crisis  that  calls  for  the  exercise  of 
all  the  candor,  enlarged  patriotism,  and  sound  judgment 
of  all  our  citizens.  We  have  it  in  our  power  to  bequeath 
to  posterity  a  benefit,  for  which  all  future  generations 
shall  bless  us,  or  we  may  put  back  the  hopes  of  human- 
ity, and,  instrumentally,  the  benign  purposes  of  Heaven, 
a  whole  generation.  Fearful  responsibility  !  And  will 
not  all  those  who  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer,  and 
who  know  that  God  hath  in  his  hands  the  hearts  of  all 
men,  will  they  not  cry  day  and  night  to  Him,  that  he 
would  graciously  be  pleased,  by  his  Spirit  to  move  upon 
the  minds  of  our  fellow  citizens,  inspiring  them  with  right 
sentiments  on  this  infinitely  important  subject.  There 
is  power  sufficient  in  the  church  to  accomplish  this  mat- 
ter, if  that  power  can  only  be  brought  to  bear. 

The  more  I  think  on  this  subject,  the  more  am  I  pene- 
trated with  a  sense  of  its  magnitude.  God  and  man  are 
calling  to  us  to  be  up  and  doing.  Hayti  and  Southamp- 
ton have  written  their  lesson  of  warning  in  lines  of  blood. 
Virginia  has  traced  hers  upon  many  a  ruined  and  desert- 
ed spot,  once  the  most  fertile  of  all  her  wide  domains,  but 
which  has  long  since  become  as  the  '  plains  of  Sodom,' 
beneath  the  withering  blight  of  slavery.  The  example 
of  England  is  showing  us  that  gradual  abolition  is  safe, 
practicable  and  expedient.  God  from  on  high,  and  by  his 
providence  in  making  slave  labour  unprofitable,  is  com- 
manding us  to  '  break  every  yoke,  and  let  the  oppressed 
go  free.'  It  may  not  be,  that  we  can  slight  all  these 
warnings,  exhortations,  and  commands,  and  yet  prosper. 


132  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

The  physical  and  moral  laws  of  God  must  both  be  in- 
verted first.  I  could  write  forever  on  this  subject  but 
must  close.  Our  boat  is  walking  the  water  like  a  '  thing 
of  life.'  We  are  just  opposite  Herculaneum ." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


PERHAPS  no  other  place  is  more  appropriate  in  the 
order  of  events  than  this,  to  state  that  at  the  age  of 
thirty-two  he  found  the  Scripture  verified — "  It  is  not 
good  for  man  to  be  alone."  On  this  subject,  although 
so  important  in  its  consequences,  there  is  every  where 
license  given  to  a  playful  mood  in  speaking  of  it.  We 
therefore  insert  his  own  letter  announcing  this  event  to 
his  friends.  The  reader  will,  of  course,  make  some  al- 
lowance for  the  partiality  of  a  husband — his  veto  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding. 


St.  Louis,  March  10th,  1835. 
My  DEAREST  MOTHER, 

/  am  married.  So  much  for  the  first  sentence, 
which  contains  the  substance  of  the  whole  matter.  But 
as  I  suppose  you  would  like  to  have  a  few  particulars, 
they  follow. 

I  was  married  on  Wednesday  last,  the  4th  inst.  at  St. 
Charles,  a  village  about  twenty  miles  distant  from  this 
place.  My  wife's  maiden  name  was  Celia  Ann  French 
I  thought  we  made  a  very  respectable  couple  at  the  time. 
As  for  my  own  personal  appearance,  you  know  enough 
of  that  already.  For  the  lady,  I  can  tell  you  (she  sits  at 
my  right  hand  while  I  write,)  that  she  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age  last  August,  is  tall,  well-shaped,  of  a  light, 
fair  complexion,  dark  flaxen  hair,  large  blue  eyes,  with 
12 


134  MEMOIR  <W   THE 

features  of  a  perfect  Grecian  contour.  In  short,  she  is 
very  beautiful.  This  is  not  a  mere  expression  of  a  fond 
husband,  but  just  the  simple  truth.  John  will  tell  you 
if  you  ask  him. 

But  the  best  is  yet  to  come.  I  need  not  tell  you  she 
is  pious,  for  I  hope  you  knew  I  would  marry  no  one  who 
was  not.  She  is,  I  know,  intelligent,  refined,  and  of 
agreeable  manners  ;  and  unless  I  have  entirely  mistaken 
her  character,  she  is  also  sweet-tempered,  obliging,  kind- 
hearted,  industrious,  good-humoured,  and  possessed  alike 
of  a  sound  judgment  and  correct  taste.  I  am  sure  you 
will  not  think  it  the  least  evidence  of  these  last  —  at  any 
rate,  I  do  not  —  that  she  has  chosen  your  son  for  a  hus- 
band. In  addition  to  all  this,  she  loves  me,  I  think,  about 
as  much  as  I  deserve.  I  shall  now  leave  you  to  measure 
that  love. 

With  such  a  wife  I  think  I  ought  to  be  happy  —  I  am 
sure  I  am  thankful  to  the  Lord  who  gave  her  to  me. 

Celia  sends  love  to  you,  and  to  all  her  new  sisters  and 
brothers  in  Maine.  She  will  expect  a  letter  from  sisters 
Sarah,  Sibyl,  and  Elizabeth. 

Pray  tell  me  what  is  the  reason  of  your  long  silence 
in  Maine  ?     I  have  heard  nothing  for  a  long  time  from  a 
living  soul  in  all  that  region.     John  is  well,  and  so  am 
I,  and  so  is  my  dear  wife.     I  have  my  hands  full  of 
business,  but  the  Lord  has  hitherto  sustained  me. 
Your  most  affectionate  son, 
ELIJAH  P. 


Sun  and  clouds  alternate  in  the  horizon  which  sur- 
rounds the  earth.  We  now  pass  to  that  period  of  our 
brother's  history,  when  his  trials  and  persecution  com- 
menced, and  which  terminated  only  with  his  death.  The 
causes  of  these  will  be  unfolded  in  the  progress  of  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  135 

narration.  In  October,  1 835,  he  was  absent  from  St. 
Louis  for  several  weeks.  During  this  time,  a  great  ex- 
citement commenced  in  that  city  upon  the  subject  of 
Slavery.  The  proprietors  of  the  "  Observer"  became 
alarmed  at  the  threats  of  a  mob,  and  caused  the  following 
notice  to  appear  in  that  paper. 


St.  Louis,  October  8th,  1835. 
"  THE  Editor  will  be  absent  two  or  three  weeks, 
in  attendance  on  Presbytery  and  Synod." 

"  Since  the  Editor  left,  the  Publishers  of  the  Observer 
have  received  a  communication  from  the  Patrons  and 
Owners  of  the  property  of  this  paper,  advising  an  entire 
suspension  of  all  controversy  upon  the  exciting  subject 
of  Slavery.  As  this  course  is  entirely  agreeable  to  the 
feelings  and  views  of  the  publishers,  nothing  upon  the 
subject  will  appear  in  its  columns,  during  the  absence  of 
the  Editor.  -  Upon  his  return  the  communication  will  be 
submitted  to  him,  and  the  future  course  of  the  paper 
finally  arranged  in  such  a  manner,  as,  we  doubt  not,  will 
be  consonant  with  the  wishes  of  the  proprietors. 

The  articles  upon  the  subject  of  Slavery  in  our  paper 
to-day,  were  prepared  by  the  Editor  before  his  departure, 
and  could  not  have  been  omitted  without  great  incon- 
venience." 

The  mob  not  being  satisfied,  and  still  threatening  the 
destruction  of  the  office  of  the  "  Observer,"  another  con- 
cession to  the  "  new  code"  "  of  our  most  respectable 
citizens"  soon  followed. 


136  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

St.  Louis,  October  22d,  1835. 

JJj3  "  The  Editor  being  still  absent,  we  again  issue 
our  paper  without  much  editorial  matter.  We  hope  it 
will  not  be  the  case  another  week." 

TO  THE  PUBLIC 

"  THE  Proprietors  of  the  St.  Louis  '  Observer'  having 
heretofore  expressed  their  determination  that  nothing 
should  be  advanced  in  the  columns  of  that  paper,  calcu- 
lated to  keep  up  the  excitement  on  the  Slavery  question  ; 
and  being  one  and  all  opposed  to  the  mad  schemes  of  the 
Abolitionists,  have  heard  with  astonishment  and  regret, 
that  certain  evil  disposed  persons  have  threatened  vio- 
lence to  the  '  Observer  Office.'  We  call  upon  all  prudent 
men  to  pause  and  reflect  upon  the  probable  consequences 
of  such  a  step — there  is  nothing  to  justify  it.  And  it  is 
asking  too  much  of  any  set  of  men  to  stand  patiently  by 
and  see  their  property  destroyed. 

We  believe  this  to  be  a  momentary  excitement,  arising 
out  of  the  apprehension  of  the  white  men  who  stole 
Major  Dougherty's  negroes,  and  who  having  been  dealt 
with  according  to  the  new  code  by  several  of  our  most 
respectable  citizens,  and  that  they  will  see  that  no  evil 
arises  out  of  that  excitement. 

<  THE  PROPRIETORS  OF  THE 

<  ST.  Louis  OBSERVER." 
October  21st,  1835. 


Whether  the  last  sentence  of  the  above  paper,  does 
not  give  full  sanction  to  the  "  new  code"  which  means 
nothing  less  than  mob  law,  the  reader  will  judge.  The 
acts  done  by  this  "  new  code"  "  of  most  respectable  citi- 
zens," were,  "  two  men  had  been  taken  up  on  suspicion  of 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  137 

having  decoyed  away  some  negroes,  had  been  brought 
by  illegal  violence  from  Illinois  ;  taken  about  two  miles 
back  of  the  city,  and  there  whipped  between  one  and  two 
two  hundred  lashes,  by  about  sixty  of  our  most  wealthy 
and  influential  citizens.  They  whipped  by  taking  turns, 
so  many  lashes  a  piece.  Before  whipping,  it  was  put  to 
the  vote,  whether  they  should  whip  or  hang  them,  and 
about  twenty  out  of  the  sixty  were  given  for  hanging, 
and  among  them  were  some  members  of  the  Church." 

St.  Louis,  October  5th,  1835. 

To  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY,  EDITOR  OF  THE  OBSERVER 
Sir  :  The  undersigned,  friends  and  supporters 
of  the  "  Observer,"  beg  leave  to  suggest,  that  the  present 
temper  of  the  times  require  a  change  in  the  manner  of 
conducting  that  print  in  relation  to  the  subject  of  domes- 
tic Slavery. 

The  public  mind  is  greatly  excited,  and  owing  to  the 
unjustifiable  interference  of  our  northern  brethren  with 
our  social  relations,  the  community  are,  perhaps,  not  in 
a  situation  to  endure  sound  doctrine  in  relation  to  this 
subject.  Indeed,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that  violence 
is  even  now  meditated  against  the  "Observer  Office,"  and 
we  do  believe  that  true  policy  and  the  interests  of  reli- 
gion, require  that  the  discussion  of  this  exciting  question 
should  be  at  least  postponed  in  this  state. 

Although  we  do  not  claim  the  right  to  prescribe  your 
course  as  an  Editor,  we  hope  that  the  concurring  opinions 
of  so  many  persons,  having  the  interests  of  your  paper, 
and  of  religion  both  at  heart,  may  induce  you  to  distrust 
your  own  judgment,  and  so  far  change  the  character  of 
the  "Observer,"  as  to  pass  over  in  silence  every  thing  con- 
nected with  the  subject  of  Slavery ;  we  would  like  that 
you  announce  in  your  paper,  your  intention  so  to  do- 
12* 


138  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

We  shall  be  glad  to  be  informed  of  your  determination 
in  relation  to  this  matter. 

Respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

ARCHIBALD  GAMBLE, 
NATHAN  RANNEY, 
WILLIAM  S.  POTTS, 
JNO.  KERR, 
G.  W.  CALL, 
H.  R.  GAMBLE, 
HEZEKIAH  KING. 

I  concur  in  the  object  intended  by  this  communication. 
BEVERLY  ALLEN. 

I  concur  in  the  foregoing. 

J.  B.  BRANT.* 

The  manner  in  which  this  communication  was  disposed 
of,  will  appear  in  his  address  to  the  public.  That  some 
parts  of  that  appeal  may  be  understood,  it  will  be  proper 
to  insert  two  or  three  resolutions  passed  at  a  meeting  of 
the  citizens  of  St.  Louis.  The  first  deprecates  the  inter- 
ference of  foreign  emissaries  on  the  subject  of  Slavery. 

2.  Resolved,  That  the  right  of  free  discussion  and 
freedom  of  speech  exists  under  the  constitution,  but  that 
being  a  conventional  reservation  made  by  the  people  in 
their  sovereign  capacity,  does  not  imply  a  moral  right, 
on  the  part  of  the  Abolitionists,  to  freely  discuss  the 


*  We  find  this  document  endorsed  as  follows  : 

"I  did  not  yield  to  the  wishes  here  expressed,  and  in  consequence 
have  been  persecuted  ever  since.  But  I  have  kept  a  good  conscience  in 
the  matter,  and  that  more  than  repays  me  for  all  I  have  suffered,  or  can 
suffer.  I  have  sworn  eternal  opposition  to  Slavery,  and,  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  I  will  never  go  back.  Amen." 
^October  24th,  1837.  E.  P.  L. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  139 

question  of  Slavery,  either  orally  or  through  the  medium 
of  the  press,  It  is  the  agitation  of  a  question  too  nearly 
allied  to  the  vital  interests  of  the  slave-holding  states  to 
admit  of  public  disputation  ;  and  so  far  from  the  fact,  that 
the  movements  of  the  Abolitionists  are  constitutional, 
they  are  in  the  greatest  degree  seditious,  and  calculated 
to  incite  insurrection  and  anarchy,  and,  ultimately,  a 
dissevennent  of  our  prosperous  Union. 

3.  Resolved,  That  we  consider  the  course  pursued  by 
the  Abolitionists,  as  one  calculated  to  paralize  every  so- 
cial tie  by  which  we  are  now  united  to  our  fellow  man, 
and  that,  if  persisted  in,  it  must  eventually  be  the  cause 
of  the  disseverment  of  these  United  States  ;  and  that  the 
doctrine  of  amalgamation  is  peculiarly  baneful  to  the  in- 
terests and  happiness  of  society.     The  union  of  black 
and  white,  in  a  moral  point  of  view,  we  consider  as  the 
most  preposterous  and  impudent  doctrine  advanced  by 
the  infatuated  Abolitionists — as  repugnant  to  judgment 
and  science,  as  it  is  degrading  to  the  feelings  of  all  sen- 
sitive minds — as  destructive  to  the  intellect  of  after  gene- 
rations, as  the  advance  of  science  and  literature  has  con- 
tributed to  the  improvement  of  our  own.     In  short,  its 
practice  would  reduce  the  high   intellectual  standard  of 
the  American  mind  to  a  level  with  the  Hottentot,  and  the 
United  States,  now  second  to  no  nation  on  earth,  would 
in  a  few  years,  be  what  Europe  was  in  the  darkest  ages. 
4.   Resolved,  That  the  sacred  writings  furnish  abun- 
dant evidence  of  the  existence  of  Slavery  from  the  earliest 
periods.     The  Patriarchs  and  Prophets  possessed  slaves 
— our  Saviour  recognised  the  relation  between  master 
and  slave,  and  deprecated  it  not :  hence,  we  know  that 
he  did  not  condemn  that  relation  ;  on  the  contrary,  his 
disciples,  in  all  countries,  designated  their  respective  du- 
ties to  each  other ; 


140  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Therefore,  Resolved,  That  we  consider  Slavery  as  it 
now  exists  in  the  United  States,  as  sanctioned  by  the 
sacred  Scriptures." 


In  the  same  number  of  his  paper  which  contained 
these  resolutions,  and  also  the  doings  of  another  meeting, 
appointing  committees  of  vigilance  to  look  up  all  persons 
suspected  of  Abolitionism,  appeared  the  following  APPEAL. 

TO  MY  FELLOW  CITIZENS. 

November  5th,  1835. 

"  RECENT  well-known  occurrences  in  this  city,  and 
elsewhere  have,  in  the  opinion  of  some  of  my  friends,  as 
well  as  my  own,  made  it  my  duty  to  address  myself  to 
you  personally.  And,  in  so  doing,  I  hope  to  be  pardoned 
for  that  apparent  egotism  which,  in  such  an  address,  is 
more  or  less  unavoidable.  I  hope  also  to  write  in  that 
spirit  of  meekness  and  humility  that  becomes  a  follower 
of  the  Lamb,  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  all  that  bold- 
ness and  sincerity  of  speech,  which  should  mark  the  lan- 
guage of  a  freeman  and  a  Christian  minister.  It  is  not 
my  design  or  wish  to  offend  any  one,  but  simply  to 
maintain  my  rights  as  a  republican  citizen,  free-born,  of 
these  United  States,  and  to  defend,  fearlessly,  the  cause 

Of  TRUTH  AND  RIGHTEOUSNESS." 

[Here  followed  a  statement  in  relation  to  the  "  Eman- 
cipators" and  "  Human  Rights,"  sent  to  Jefferson  City, 
also  his  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  Slavery.  These 
have  been  sufficiently  indicated.] 

"  Let  this  statement,  fellow-citizens,  show  you  the  im- 
propriety and  the  danger  of  putting  the  administration  of 
justice  into  the  hands  of  a  mob.  I  am  assured  that  had 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  141 

I  been  in  the  city,  at  the  time  when  the  charge  here  re- 
ferred to,  was  first  circulated,  I  should  surely  have  suf- 
fered the  penalty  of  the  whipping-post  or  the  tar-barrel, 
if  not  both !  I  understand  that  a  Christian  brother  was 
one  of  those  who  brought  the  report  here  from  Jefferson 
City,  and  was  among  the  most  active  in  circulating  it, 
and  declaring  his  belief  in  my  criminality.  If  this  meets 
his  eye,  he  is  assured  that  I  forgive  him  with  all  my 
heart. 

And  now,  fellow-citizens,  having  made  the  above  ex- 
planation, for  the  purpose  of  undeceiving  such  of  you  as 
have  honestly  supposed  me  in  error ;  truth  and  candor 
require  me  to  add  that  had  I  desired  to  send  a  copy  of 
the  '  Emancipator'  or  of  any  other  newspaper  to  Jefferson 
City,  I  should  not  have  taken  the  pains  to  box  it  up.  I 
am  not  aware  that  any  law  of  my  country  forbids  my 
sending  what  document  I  please  to  a  friend  or  citizen.  I 
know,  indeed,  that  mob  law  has  decided  otherwise,  and 
that  it  has  become  fashionable  in  certain  parts  of  this 
country,  to  break  open  the  Post  Office,  and  take  from  it 
such  documents  as  the  mob  should  decide,  ought  not  to 
pass  unburned.  But  I  had  never  imagined  there  was  a 
sufficiency  of  respectability  attached  to  the  proceeding, 
to  recommend  it  for  adoption  to  the  good  citizens  of  my 
own  state.  And  grievously  and  sadly  shall  I  be  disap- 
pointed to  find  it  otherwise. 

In  fine,  I  wish  it  to  be  distinctly  understood  that  I  have 
never,  knowingly,  to  the  best  of  my  recollection,  sent  a 
single  copy  of  the  '  Emancipator'  or  any  other  Abolition 
publication  to  a  single  individual  in  Missouri,  or  else- 
where ;  while  yet  I  claim  the  right  to  send  ten  thousand 
of  them  if  I  choose,  to  as  many  of  'my  fellow-citizens. 
Whether  I  will  exercise  that  right  or  not,  is  for  me,  and 
not  for  the  mob,  to  decide.  The  right  to  send  publica- 


142  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

cations  of  any  sort  to  slaves,  or  in  any  way  to  communi- 
cate with  them,  without  the  express  permission  of  their 
masters,  I  freely  acknowledge  that  I  have  not.  Nor  do 
I  wish  to  have  it.  It  is  with  the  master  alone,  that  I 
would  have  to  do,  as  one  freeman  with  another ;  and  who 
shall  say  me  nay  ? 

I  come  now  to  the  proceedings  had  at  the  late  meet- 
ings of  our  citizens.  And  in  discussing  them  I  hope  not 
to  say  a  single  word  that  shall  wound  the  feelings  of  a 
single  individual  concerned.  It  is  with  principles  I  have 
to  do,  and  not  with  men.  And  in  canvassing  them,  freely, 
openly,  I  do  but  exercise  a  right  secured  by  the  solemn 
sanction  of  the  Constitution,  to  the  humblest  citizen  of 
this  republic — a  right  that,  so  long  as  life  lasts,  I  do  not 
expect  to  relinquish. 

-  I  freely  acknowledge  the  respectability  of  the  citizens 
who  composed  the  meetings  referred  to.  And  were  the 
questions  under  consideration,  to  be  decided  as  mere  mat- 
ters of  opinion,  it  would  become  me,  however  much  I 
might  differ  from  them,  to  bow  in  humble  silence  to  the 
decisions  of  such  a  body  of  my  fellow-citizens.  But  I 
cannot  surrender  my  principles,  though  the  whole  world 
besides  should  vote  them  down — I  can  make  no  compro- 
mise between  truth  and  error,  even  though  my  life  be  the 
alternative. 

Of  the  first  resolution  passed  at  the  meeting  of  the 
24th  Oct.,  I  have  nothing  to  say,  except  that  I  perfectly 
agree  with  the  sentiment,  that  the  citizens  of  the  non- 
slaveholding  states  have  no  right  to  interfere  with  the 
domestic  relations  between  master  and  slave. 

The  second  resolution,  strictly  speaking,  neither  af- 
firms nor  denies  any  thing  in  reference  to  the  matter  in 
hand.  No  man  has  a  moral  right  to  do  any  thing  im- 
proper. Whether,  therefore,  he  has  the  moral  right  to 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  143 

discuss  the  question  of  Slavery,  is  a  point  with  which 
human  legislation  or  resolutions  have  nothing  to  do. 
The  true  issue  to  be  decided  is,  whether  he  has  the  civil, 
the  political  right,  to  discuss  it,  or  not.  And  this  is  a 
mere  question  of  fact.  In  Russia,  in  Turkey,  in  Austria, 
nay,  even  in  France,  this  right  most  certainly  does  not 
exist.  But  does  it  exist  in  Missouri  ?  We  decide  this 
question  by  turning  to  the  Constitution  of  the  State. 
The  sixteenth  section,  article  thirteenth,  of  the  Constitu- 
tion of  Missouri,  reads  as  follows  : 

'  That  the  free  communication  of  thoughts  and  opinions 
is  one  of  the  invaluable  rights  of  man,  and  that  every 
person  may  freely  speak,  write,  and  print  ON  ANY  SUB- 
JECT, being  responsible  for  the  abuse  of  that  liberty.' 

Here,  then,  I  find  my  warrant  for  using,  as  Paul  did, 
all  freedom  of  speech.  If  I  abuse  that  right  I  freely 
acknowledge  myself  amenable  to  the  laws.  But  it  is 
said  that  the  right  to  hold  slaves  is  a  constitutional  one, 
and  therefore  not  to  be  called  in  question.  I  admit  the 
premise,  but  deny  the  conclusion.  To  put  a  strong  case 
by  way  of  illustration.  The  Constitution  declares  that 
this  shall  be  a  perpetual  republic,  but  has  not  any  citizen 
the  right  to  discuss,  under  that  Constitution,  the  compa- 
rntive  merits  of  despotism  and  liberty?  And  if  he  has 
eloquence  and  force  of  argument  sufficient,  may  he  not 
persuade  us  all  to  crown  him  our  king  ?  Robert  Dale 
Owen  came  to  this  city,  and  Fanny  Wright  followed  him, 
openly  proclaiming  the  doctrine  that  the  institution  of 
marriage  was  a  curse  to  any  community,  and  ought  to 
be  abolished.  It  was,  undoubtedly,  an  abominable  doc- 
trine, and  one  which,  if  acted  out,  would  speedily  reduce 
society  to  the  level  of  barbarism  and  the  brutes  ;  yet  who 
thought  of  denying  Mr.  Owen  and  his  disciple,  the  per- 


144  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

feet  right  of  avowing  such  doctrines,  or  who  thought  of 
mobbing  them  for  the  exercise  of  this  right  ?  And  yet, 
most  surely,  the  institutions  of  Slavery  are  not  more  in- 
terwoven with  the  structure  of  our  society,  than  those  of 
marriage. 

See  the  danger,  and  the  natural  and  inevitable  result 
to  which  the  first  step  here  will  lead.  To-day  a  public 
meeting  declares  that  you  shall  not  discuss  the  subject  of 
Slavery,  in  any  of  its  bearings,  civil  or  religious.  Right 
or  wrong,  the  press  must  be  silent.  To-morrow,  another 
meeting  decides  that  it  is  against  the  peace  of  society, 
that  the  principles  of  Popery  shall  be  discussed,  and  the 
edict  goes  forth  to  muzzle  the  press.  The  next  day,  it 
is  in  a  similar  manner,  declared  that  not  a  word  must  be 
said  against  distilleries,  dram  shops,  or  drunkenness. 
And  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  The  truth  is,  my 
fellow-citizens,  if  you  give  ground  a  single  inch,  there  is 
no  stopping  place.  I  deem  it,  therefore,  my  duty  to  take 
my  stand  upon  the  Constitution.  Here  is  firm  ground — 
I  feel  it  to  be  such.  And  I  do  most  respectfully,  yet  de- 
cidedly, declare  to  you  my  fixed  determination  to  main- 
tain this  ground.  We  have  slaves,  it  is  true,  but  /  am 
not  one.  I  am  a  citizen  of  these  United  States,  a  citizen 
of  Missouri,  free-born ;  and  having  never  forfeited  the 
inestimable  privileges  attached  to  such  a  condition,  I  can- 
not consent  to  surrender  them.  But  while  I  maintain 
them,  I  hope  to  do  it  with  all  that  meekness  and  humility 
that  become  a  Christian,  and  especially  a  Christian  min- 
ister. I  am  ready,  not  to  fight,  but  to  suffer,  and  if  need 
be,  to  die  for  them.  Kindred  blood  to  that  which  flows 
in  my  veins,  flowed  freely  to  water  the  tree  of  Christian 
liberty,  planted  by  the  Puritans  on  the  rugged  soil  of  New 
England.  It  flowed  as  freely  on  the  plains  of  Lexing- 
ton, the  heights  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  fields  of  Saratoga. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOV. 


And  freely,  too,  shall  mine  flow,  yea,  as  freely  as  if  it 
were  so  much  water,  ere  I  surrender  my  right  to  plead 
the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness,  before  my  fellow- 
citizens,  and  in  the  face  of  all  their  opposers. 

Of  the  3d  resolution  I  must  be  allowed  to  say,  that  I 
have  never  seen  the  least  evidence,  whatever,  that  the 
Abolitionists,  with  all  their  errors,  have  ever  desired  to 
effect  an  amalgamation  of  the  two  races,  black  and  white. 
I  respectfully  ask  of  the  individuals  composing  the  meet- 
ing that  adopted  this  resolution,  if  they  have  ever  seen 
any  such  evidence  ?  They  have  formally,  solemnly  and 
officially  denied  it.  It  is  certainly  an  abhorrent  thing 
even  in  theory,  and  a  thousand  times  more  so  in  practice. 
And  yet,  unless  my  eyes  deceive  me  as  I  walk  the  streets 
of  our  city,  there  are  some  among  us  who  venture  to 
put  it  into  practice.  And  in  the  appointment  of  the  nu- 
merous committees  of  vigilance,  superintendence,  &c., 
methinks  that  not  one  of  them  all  was  more  needed  than  a 
Committee  whose  business  it  should  be  to  ferret  out  from 
their  secret  '  chambers  of  iniquity,'  these  practical  amal- 
gamationists.  If  He  who  said  to  the  woman  taken  in 
adultery,  '  Go  and  sin  no  more,'  had  stood  in  the  midst 
of  the  meeting  at  our  Court  House,  I  will  not  say  that 
he  would  there  have  detected  a  single  amalgamator  ;  but 
I  am  sure  that  if  a  poor  Abolitionist  were  to  be  stoned 
in  St.  Louis  for  holding  this  preposterous  notion,  and  the 
same  rule  were  to  be  applied  that  our  Saviour  used  in 
the  case  referred  to,  there  are  at  least  some  amongst  us 
who  could  not  cast  a  pebble  at  the  sinner's  head. 

What  shall  I,  what  can  I,  say  of  the  4th  resolution  ? 
It  was  adopted,  in  a  large  assemblage  of  my  fellow-citi- 
zens, with  but  a  few  dissenting  voices.  Many  of  our 
most  respectable  citizens  voted  for  it — Presbyterians, 
Methodists,  Baptists,  Episcopalians,  Roman  Catholics  ; 
13 


146  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

those  who  believe  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God  and 
those  who  do  not,  all  united  in  voting  for  the  resolution 
that  the  Bible  sanctions  Slavery  as  it  now  exists  in  the 
United  States.  If  the  sentiment  had  been  that  the  Bible 
sanctions  the  continuance  of  the  system  until  proper 
measures  can  be  taken  to  remove  it,  I  too  could  adopt  it. 
If  I  have  taken  my  neighbour's  property  and  spent  it, 
and  afterwards  repent  of  my  sin.  and  wish  to  restore 
what  I  had  unjustly  taken,  but  have  not  the  means,  the 
Bible  no  longer  holds  me  as  a  thief,  but  sanctions  my 
withholding  the  money  from  my  neighbour,  until  I  can, 
by  the  use  of  the  best  means  in  my  power,  obtain  it  and 
restore  it.  And  although,  meanwhile,  my  neighbour  in 
consequence  of  my  original  crime,  may  be  deprived  of 
his  rights,  and  his  family  made  to  suffer  all  the  evils  of 
poverty  and  shame,  the  Bible  would  still  enjoin  it  upon 
him  to  let  me  alone,  nay,  to  forgive  me,  and  even  to  be 
content  in  the  abject  condition  to  which  I  had  reduced 
him.  Even  so  the  Bible  now  says  to  our  slaves,  as  it 
said  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  '  Servants,  (or  slaves) 
obey  in  all  things  your  masters  according  to  the  flesh  ; 
not  with  eye-service,  as  men-pleasers  ;  but  in  singleness 
of  heart,  fearing  God.'  But  then  it  also  adds,  '  Masters, 
give  unto  your  servants  that  which  is  just  and  equal.' 
What  is  meant  by  '  just  and  equal'  we  may  learn  from 
the  Saviour  himself — '  All  things  whatsoever  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them  :  for 
this  is  the  LAW  and  the  prophets.'  Thus  far  the  Bible 
And  it  will  be  seen,  that  in  no  case  does  it  sanction,  but 
the  rather,  absolutely  forbids,  all  insurrectionary,  all  se- 
ditious, all  rebellious  acts  on  the  part  of  the  slaves.  But 
be  it  remembered,  that,  with  equal  decision  and  authori- 
ty, it  says  to  the  master,  '  Undo  the  heavy  burden,  and 
let  the  oppressed  go  FREE.'  If  either  disobey  these  in- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  147 

junctions,  then  it  bids  us  leave  the  whole  matter  with 
that  GOD  who  declares  '  Vengeance  is  mine,  I  will  re- 
pay, saith  the  Lord. 

But  I  am  not  at  liberty  so  to  understand  the  resolution. 
From  the  preamble,  and  from  conversation  with  several 
who  voted  for  it,  I  am  compelled  to  understand  the  meet- 
ing as  voting  that  the  Bible — the  blessed  Saviour,  and 
his  holy  Apostles  —  sanctions  the  principle  of  Slavery — 
the  system  itself,  as  such,  as  it  now  exists  amongst  us. 
Fellow-citizens  !  1  mean  not  to  be  disrespectful  to  you, 
but  I  declare  before  you  all,  I  have  not  words  to  express 
my  utter  abhorrence  of  such  a  sentiment.  My  soul  de- 
tests it,  my  heart  sickens  over  it ;  my  judgment,  my  un- 
derstanding, my  conscience,  reject  it,  with  loathing  and 
horror.  What  is  the  system  of  Slavery  '  as  it  now  ex- 
ists in  the  United  States  ?'  It  is  a  system  of  buying  and 
selling  immortal  beings  for  the  sake  of  gain  ;  a  system 
•which  forbids  to  man  and  woman  the  rights  of  husband 
and  wife,  sanctioning  the  dissolution  of  this  tie  at  the 
mere  caprice  of  another  ;  a  system  which  tolerates  the 
existence  of  a  class  of  men  whose  professed  business  it 
is  to  go  about  from  house  to  house,  tearing  husband  and 
wife,  parent  and  child  asunder,  chaining  their  victims  to- 
gether, and  then  driving  them  with  a  -whip,  like  so  many 
mules,  to  a  distant  market,  there  to  be  disposed  of  to  the 
highest  bidder.  And  then  the  nameless  pollutions,  the 
unspeakable  abominations,  that  attend  this  unfortunate 
class  in  their  cabins.  But  I  spare  the  details.  And  this 
is  the  system  sanctioned  by  the  Prince  of  Mercy  and 
Love,  by  the  God  of  Holiness  and  Purity !  Oh  God  !  — 
In  the  language  of  one  of  the  Patriarchs  to  whom  the 
meeting  in  their  resolution  refer,  I  say,  '  Oh  my  soul, 
come  not  thou  into  their  secret,  unto  their  assembly  mine 
honour  be  not  thou  united  !' 


148  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

The  fifth  resolution  appoints  a  Committee  of  Vigilance 
consisting  of  seven  for  each  ward,  twenty  for  the  sub- 
urbs, and  seven  for  each  township  in  the  county— in  all 
EIGHTY  THREE  persons — whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  report 
to  the  Mayor  or  the  other  civil  authorities,  all  persons 
suspected  of  preaching  abolition  doctrines,  &c.,  and  should 
the  civil  authorities  fail  to  deal  with  them,  on  suspicion, 
why  then  the  Committee  are  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  citi- 
zens and  execute  their  decrees — in  other  words,  to  lynch 
the  suspected  persons. 

Fellow-citizens  ;  where  are  we  and  in  what  age  of  the 
world  do  we  live  ?  Is  this  the  land  of  Freedom  or  Des- 
potism ?  Is  it  the  ninth  or  nineteenth  century  ?  Have  the 
principles  of  the  Lettres  de  Cachet,  driven  from  Europe, 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  taken  up  their  abode  in  Mis- 
souri ?  Lewis  the  XIV.  sent  men  to  the  Bastile  on  sus- 
picion ;  we,  more  humane,  do  but  whip  them  to  death, 
or  nearly  so.  But  these  things  cannot  last  long.  A  fe\v 
maybe  made  the  innocent  victims  of  lawless  violence, 
yet  be  assured  there  is  a  moral  sense  in  the  Christendom 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  that  will  not  long  endure  such 
odious  transactions.  A  tremendous  re-action  will  take 
place.  And  remember,  I  pray  you,  that  as  Phalaris  was 
the  first  man  roasted  in  the  brazen  bull  he  had  construct 
ed  for  the  tyrant  of  Sicily,  so  the  inventor  of  the  guillo- 
tin  was  by  no  means  the  last,  whose  neck  had  practical 
experience  of  the  keenness  of  its  edge. 

I  turn,  for  a  moment,  to  my  fellow-Christians,  of  all 
Protestant  denominations. 

Respected  and  beloved  fathers  and  brethren.  As  I 
address  myself  to  you,  my  heart  is  full,  well-nigh  to 
bursting,  and  my  eyes  overflow.  It  is  indeed  a  time  of 
trial  and  rebuke.  The  enemies  of  the  cross  are  nume- 
rous and  bold,  and  malignant,  in  the  extreme.  From  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  149 

situation  in  which  the  Providence  of  God  has  placed  me, 
a  large  portion  of  their  hatred,  in  this  quarter,  has  con- 
centrated itself  on  me.  You  know  that,  now  for  nearly 
two  years,  a  constant  stream  of  calumnies  and  personal 
abuse  of  the  most  viperous  kind,  has  been  poured  upon 
me,  simply  because  I  have  been  your  organ  through 
which — I  refer  now  more  especially  to  my  Presbyterian 
brethren — you  have  declared  your  sentiments.  You 
know,  also,  that  I  have  never,  in  a  single  instance,  re- 
plied to,  or  otherwise  noticed  these  attacks.  And  now 
not  only  is  a  fresh  attack,  of  ten-fold  virulence,  made 
upon  my  character,  but  violence  is  threatened  to  my  per- 
son. Think  not  that  it  is  because  I  am  an  Abolitionist 
that  I  am  so  persecuted.  They  who  first  started  this 
report  knew  and  still  know  better.  In  the  progress  of 
events  Slavery  has  doubtless  contributed  its  share,  though 
a  very  small  one,  to  the  bitterness  of  hatred  with  which 
the  '  Observer,'  and  I  as  connected  with  it,  are  regarded. 
But  the  true  cause  is  the  open  and  decided  stand  which 
the  paper  has  taken  against  the  encroachments  of  Popery. 
This  is  not  only  my  own  opinion,  but  that  of  others,  and 
indeed  of  nearly  or  quite  all  with  whom  I  have  conversed 
on  the  subject,  and  among  the  rest,  as  I  learn,  of  a 
French  Catholic. 

I  repeat  it,  then,  the  real  origin  of  the  cry,  '  Down 
with  the  Observer,'  is  to  be  looked  for  in  its  opposition 
to  Popery.  The  fire  that  is  now  blazing  and  crackling 
through  this  city,  was  kindled  on  Popish  altars,  and  has 
been  assiduously  blown  up  by  Jesuit  breath.  And  now, 
dear  brethren,  the  question  is,  shall  we  flee  before  it,  or 
stay  and  abide  its  fury,  even  though  we  perish  in  the 
flames  ?  For  one,  I  cannot  hesitate.  The  path  of  duty 
lies  plain  before  me,  and  I  must  walk  therein,  even 
though  it  lead  to  the  whipping-post,  the  tar-barrel,  or 
13* 


150  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

even  the  stake.  I  was  bold  and  dauntless  in  the  service 
of  sin  ;  it  is  not  fitting  that  I  should  be  less  so  in  the 
service  of  my  Redeemer.  He  sought  me  out  when  there 
was  none  to  help ;  when  I  was  fast  sinking  to  eternal 
ruin,  he  raised  me  up  and  placed  me  on  the  Rock  of 
Ages  ;  and  now  shall  I  forsake  him  when  he  has  so  few 
friends  and  so  many  enemies  in  St.  Louis  ?  I  cannot,  I 
dare  not,  and,  His  grace  sustaining  me,  /  will  not. 

Some  of  you  I  know  are  with  me  in  feeling,  in  sym- 
pathy, and  in  prayer.  And  this  knowledge  is,  indeed,  a 
cordial  to  my  heart.  We  have  wept  and  prayed  together 
in  the  midst  of  our  present  afflictions,  and  we  have  risen 
from  our  knees,  refreshed  and  cheered  by  a  sense  of 
God's  presence  and  his  approving  smile.  And  indeed, 
but  for  this, — but  that  I  have  felt  the  upholding  hand  of 
God  supporting  me,  I  had  long  since  fallen.  '  I  had 
fainted,  unless  I  had  believed  to  see  the  goodness  of  the 
Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living.'  And  the  heaviest  blows 
have  been  those  which  I  have  received  from  the  hands 
of  some  of  my  brethren.  May  the  Lord  forgive  them,  as 
freely  and  heartily  as  I  do. 

But  Oh,  my  brethren,  what  shall  I  say  to  those  of  you 
who  recorded  your  votes  in  favour  of  the  resolution  that 
the  Bible  sanctions  Slavery  ?  It  is  not  for  me  to  reproach 
you  ;  nor  have  I  the  least  disposition  to  utter  one  unkind 
word.  I  only  wish  that  I  could  make  you  sensible  of 
the  feelings  I  experienced  when  I  first  read  that  resolu- 
tion as  sanctioned  by  you.  It  did  seem  to  me  as  though 
I  could  perceive  a  holy  horror,  thrilling  through  all  heaven, 
at  such  a  perversion  of  the  principles  of  the  gospel  of 
the  Son  of  God.  Oh,  my  brethren,  may  I  not  entreat 
you  to  pray  over  this  subject,  to  ask  for  the  wisdom  of 
heaven  to  lead  you  into  the  truth  ?  Depend  upon  it,  you 
are  wrong,  fearfully  wrong.  Not  for  all  the  diadems  of 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  151 

all  the  stars  ot'  heaven,  though  each  were  a  world  like 
this,  would  I  have  such  a  vote,  unrepented  of,  to  answer 
for  at  the  bar  of  God,  my  Judge. 

Oh,  were  the  Church  united  at  such  a  crisis  as  this, 
what  a  triumph  we  might  achieve  !  But  it  never  can  be 
united,  until  you  come  over  to  us.  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
a  Christian,  once  holding  the  contrary  doctrine,  giving  it 
up  for  yours  ?  Never,  I  venture  to  say  it,  unless  at  the 
same  time  he  gave  up  his  Christianity  with  it.  But  there 
are  instances,  daily,  of  conversions  from  your  side  to 
ours.  Come  over  then,  brethren — Oh,  come  over.  Let 
us  unitedly  take  our  stand  upon  the  principles  of  truth 
and  RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Standing  by  them  we  cannot  be 
moved.  Even  the  Heathen  could  say  of  the  just  man, 
that  he  would  remain  undismayed  though  the  heavens 
should  fall  around  him.  How  much  more,  then,  may  it 
be  said  of  the  Christian  ?  In  the  midst  of  every  assault, 
when  foes  are  gathered  around  him  on  every  side,  in  the 
calm,  yet  exulting  confidence  of  faith,  he  can  look  up- 
ward and  exclaim — '  The  LORD  is  my  light  and  my  sal- 
vation ;  whom  shall  I  fear  ?  the  LORD  is  the  strength  of 
my  life  ;  of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid  ?' 

A  few  words  more,  and  I  have  done. 

Fellow-citizens  of  St.  Louis,  above,  you  have  my  sen- 
ments,  fully  and  freely  expressed,  on  the.  great  subjects 
now  agitating  the  public  mind.  Are  they  such  as  render 
me  unworthy  of  that  protection  which  regulated  Society 
accords  to  the  humblest  of  its  members  ?  Let  me  ask 
you,  why  is  it  that  this  storm  of  persecution  is  directed 
against  me  ?  What  have  I  done  ?  Have  I  libelled  any 
man's  person  or  character  1  No.  Have  I  been  found 
in  gambling-houses,  billiard-rooms,  or  tippling-shops  ? 
Never.  Have  I  ever  disturbed  the  peace  and  quiet  of 
your  city  by  midnight  revellings,  or  riots  in  the  streets  ? 


152  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

It  is  not  pretended.  Have  I  ever,  by  word  or  deed,  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  attempted  or  designed  to  incite  your 
slaves  to  insubordination  ?  God  forbid.  I  would  as 
soon  be  guilty  of  arson  and  murder.  And  here  you  must 
permit  me  to  say  that  the  conduct  of  those  who  so 
fiercely  accuse  me  here,  strongly  reminds  me  of  the 
scene  which  took  place  between  Ahab  and  the  prophet 
Elijah.  You  remember  that  in  a  time  of  great  drouth, 
which  Elijah  had  predicted,  and  which  God  sent  upon 
the  land  for  the  wickedness  of  Ahab  and  Israel,  when 
Ahab  met  Elijah,  he  said  to  him,  in  great  wrath,  '  Art 
thou  he  that  troubleth  Israel  ?'  But  the  prophet  boldly, 
and  in  conscious  innocence,  replied,  '  I  have  not  troubled 
Israel,  but  thou  and  thy  father's  house,'  &c.  Elijah  did 
not  bring  the  drouth  and  the  famine  upon  Israel,  he  sim- 
ply announced  what  God  had  determined  to  do  in  punish- 
ment of  their  sins.  The  drouth  would  have  come,  though 
there  had  been  no  prophet  to  announce  it.  Yet  so  far  as 
he  had  any  personal  agency  in  the  matter,  he  may  well  be 
supposed  to  have  been  actuated  by  kind  motives  towards 
Ahab  and  his  countrymen,  inasmuch  as  by  forewarning 
them  of  the  evil,  he  gave  them  an  opportunity  to  prepare 
for  it  at  least,  if  not  to  avert  it  by  a  speedy  repentance. 
Even  so,  my  fellow-citizens,  is  it  unreasonable  and 
unjust  to  charge  upon  those  who,  applying  to  the  case 
the  maxims  of  the  Bible,  of  experience,  and  history, 
foresee  and  foretell  to  you  the  evil  effects  of  the  con- 
tinuance of  Slavery,  the  crime  of  having  introduced  those 
very  consequences.  And  here  let  me  say,  that  in  my 
opinion  the  proceedings  of  the  late  meetings  in  this  city, 
and  the  agitation  consequent  upon  them,  have  done  more 
to  disquiet  and  render  uneasy  and  restless  and  discon- 
tented, the  minds  of  the  slaves,  than  all  that  the  "  Obser- 
ver" could  or  would  have  said  in  an  hundred  years. 


REV.   E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  153 

I  again,  therefore,  ask  you  what  I  have  done,  that  I 
am  to  be  made  an  object  of  popular  vengeance  ?  From 
the  time  that  I  published  the  account  of  the  consecration 
of  the  Cathedral,  threats  have  been  constantly  coming 
to  my  ears  that  I  was  to  be  mobbed,  and  my  office  torn 
down.  Is  it  to  be  borne,  that  a  citizen  in  the  peaceable 
exercise  of  those  rights  secured  to  him  solemnly  by 
charter,  is  thus  to  be  hunted  down  and  proscribed?,  If 
in  any  thing  I  have  offended  against  the  laws  of  my 
country,  or  its  constitution,  I  stand  ready  to  answer.  If 
I  have  not,  then  I  call  upon  those  laws  and  that  consti- 
tution, and  those  who  revere  them  to  protect  me. 

I  do,  therefore,  as  an  American  citizen,  and  Christian 
patriot,  and  in  the  name  of  Liberty,  and  Law,  and  RE- 
LIGION, solemnly  PROTEST  against  all  these  attempts, 
howsoever  or  by  whomsoever  made,  to  frown  down  the 
liberty  of  the  press,  and  forbid  the  free  expression  of 
opinion.  Under  a  deep  sense  of  my  obligations  to  my 
country,  the  church,  and  my  God,  I  declare  it  to  be  my 
fixed  purpose  to  submit  to  no  such  dictation.  And  I  am 
prepared  to  abide  the  consequences.  I  have  appealed  to 
the  constitution  and  laws  of  my  country  ;  if  they  fail  to 
protect  me,  I  APPEAL  TO  GOD,  and  with  Him  I  cheerfully 
rest  my  cause. 

Fellow-citizens,  they  told  me  that  if  I  returned  to  the 
city,  from  my  late  absence,  you  would  surely  lay  violent 
hands  upon  me,  and  many  of  my  friends  besought  me  not 
to  come.  I  disregarded  their  advice,  because  I  plainly 
saw,  or  thought  I  saw,  that  the  LORD  would  have  me 
come.  And  up  to  this  moment  that  conviction  of  duty 
has  continued  to  strengthen,  until  now  I  have  not  a 
shadow  of  doubt  that  I  did  right.  I  have  appeared  openly 
among  you,  in  your  streets  and  market-places,  and  now 


154  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  I.OVEJOY. 

I  openly  and  publicly  throw  myself  into  your  hands.     I 
can  die  at  my  post,  but  I  cannot  desert  it. 

I  have  one  request  to  make,  and  but  one.  The  origi- 
nal proprietors  of  the  '  Observer,'  have,  as  you  know, 
disclaimed  all  responsibility  in  its  publication.  So  far 
as  depends  upon  them,  nothing  would  appear  in  the  pa- 
per on  the  subject  of  Slavery.  I  am  sure,  therefore,  that 
you  will  see  the  propriety  of  refraining  from  any  act 
which  would  inflict  injury  upon  them,  either  in  person 
or  property.  I  alone  am  answerable  and  responsible  for 
all  that  appears  in  the  paper,  except  when  absent  from 
the  city.  A  part  of  the  office  also  belongs  to  the  young 
men  who  print  the  paper  :  and  they  are  in  no  way  respon- 
sible for  the  matter  appearing  in  its  columns.  For  the 
sake  of  both  these  parties  I  do,  therefore,  earnestly  en- 
treat you,  that  whatever  maybe  done  to  me,  the  property 
of  the  office  may  be  left  undisturbed.  If  the  popular 
vengeance  needs  a  victim,  I  offer  myself  a  willing  sacri- 
fice. To  any  assault  that  may  be  made  upon  me,  I  de- 
clare it  my  purpose  to  make  no  resistance.  There  is,  I 
confess,  one  string  tugging  at  my  heart,  that  sometimes 
wakes  it  to  mortal  agony.  And  yet  I  cannot,  dare  not, 
yield  to  its  influence.  For  my  Master  has  said,  '  If  any 
man  come  to  me,  and  hate  not  his  father,  and  mother,  and 
WIFE,  and  children,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  yea,  and 
his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple.' 

Humbly  entreating  all  whom  I  have  injured,  whether 
intentionally  or  otherwise,  to  forgive  me  ;  in  charity  with 
all  men  ;  freely  forgiving  my  enemies,  even  those  who 
thirst  for  my  blood,  and  with  the  blest  assurance,  that  in 
life  or  death  nothing  can  separate  me  from  my  Redeemer, 
I  subscribe  myself, 

Your  fellow-citizen, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY." 


CHAPTER  X. 

t 

IT  will  be  proper  here  to  insert  several  letters  which 
show  the  workings  of  his  spirit  in  secret,  while  he  was 
thus  breasting  the  pitiless  storm  without. 

St.  Louis,  November  2d,  1835. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER, 

We  have  just  got  into  the  Abolition  excitement 
here.  For  some  days  past  St.  Louis  has  been  in  an 
"  uproar."  The  immediate  cause  of  the  excitement,  was 
the  abduction  of  several  negroes  from  a  town  into  Illinois, 
by  some  persons,  it  is  not  certainly  known  who.  How- 
ever, on  the  strength  of  suspicion,  two  men  were  seized 
by  about  sixty  of  our  "  most  respectable"  (so  say  the 
papers)  citizens,  taken  above  three  miles  back  of  the 
city,  and  there  whipped,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  lashes  each.  Some 
of  the  sixty  respectable  citizens  were  for  hanging  them 
up  at  once,  but  in  this  they  were  overruled.  And  what 
is  more,  it  is  now  said,  and  I  suppose  correctly,  that  one 
of  the  men  thus  whipped,  was,  and  is,  totally  innocent ! ! 
They  whipped  him  on  suspicion,  telling  him  if  he  would 
confess  they  would  let  him  of ;  and  when  the  poor  fellow 
could  endure  no  longer,  he  accused  himself. 

We  have  had  several  public  meetings  here — the  result 
of  which  you  will  see  in  the  "  Observer." 

I  was  not  in  town  during  the  height  of  the  excitement, 
being  absent  as  I  told  you.  And  now  that  I  am  here,  it 


156  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

is  at  the  daily  peril  of  my  life.  I  am  accused  of  being 
an  Abolitionist,  and  threatened  in  the  newspapers  of  the 
city,  and  throughout  the  city,  as  well  as  various  places 
in  the  state,  with  violence.  /  expect  it.  I  expect  that  I 
shall  be  Lynched,  or  tarred  and  feathered,  or  it  may  be, 
hung  up.  All  are  threatened.  There  is  a  burning  hatred 
on  the  part  of  the  Popish  priests  and  their  minions,  which 
would  delight  to  quench  itself  in  my  blood.  And  nothing 
would  be  more  convenient  for  it,  than  to  execute  its  pur- 
poses, under  the  mask  of  opposition  to  Abolition.  I  have 
known,  for  some  months,  that  I  was  in  danger  from  the 
hand  of  violence — but  the  matter  is  now  about  to  come 
to  a  crisis.  In  the  "  Observer"  of  Thursday,  I  shall 
come  out,  openly,  fearlessly,  and  as  I  hope,  in  such  a 
manner  as  becomes  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  when  de- 
fending His  cause.  And  whatever  may  be  the  conse- 
quences, I  think,  I  trust,  that  through  the  grace  of  God, 
I  am  prepared  to  meet  them — even  unto  death  itself.  My 
friends  are  trembling,  my  enemies — numerous  and  influ- 
ential— are  open  and  fierce  in  their  threats,  but  I  can 
truly  say,  I  never  was  more  calm.  I  have  fasted  and 
prayed.  I  have  earnestly  sought  the  path  of  duty,  and 
think,  I  am  assured,  that  I  have  found  it ;  and  now  I  am 
determined  that  not  all  the  fury  of  men  or  devils  shall 
drive  me  from  it.  Yet  you  need  not  be  disappointed  to 
hear  that  I  have  fallen  a  victim,  at  least  to  the  lash  or  the 
tar  barrel.  If  they  content  themselves  with  whipping,  I 
will  not  run  until  I  have  been  whipped  as  often,  at  least, 
as  Paul  was — eight  times. 

The  abominable  resolutions  passed  at  the  meeting 
were  voted  for  by  professing  Christians !  two  or  three 
Methodists  had  the  courage  to  say  no  to  the  fourth  and 
fifth  and  that  was  all.  They  were  voted  for  by  at  least 
two  Elders  in  the  Presbyterian  Church ' 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  157 

And  yet  my  dear  brother,  I  am  not  an  Abolitionist — at 
least  not  such  a  one  as  you  are.  But  I  shall  be  more 
full  in  the  paper. 

Give  my  love  to  dear  mother,  sisters  and  brother.  We 
are  all  well.  My  wife  is  just  now  at  her  mother's.  My 
best  love  to  Sarah.  Tell  mother  not  to  be  disquieted — 
The  Lord  reigneth.  And  let  me  entreat  my  brothers 
and  sisters  to  pray  for  me,  that  I  may  pass  through  this 
"  fiery  trial,"  without  denying  my  Lord  and  Master. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  p.  LOVEJOY: 

a  ',  , 

St.  Louis,  November  Wth,  1835, 
DEAR  BROTHER, 

Before  this  reaches  you,  you  will  have  read 
the  "  Observer,"  containing  -an  "  appeal"  to  the  public. 
I  hasten  to  inform  you,  especially  that  dear  Mother  may 
not  be  kept  in  suspense  as  to  my  fate,  that  I  believe  the 
result  will  be  for  good.  I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  be 
mobbed — a  re-action  has  taken  place  in  this  city.  Unex- 
pected friends  have  been  raised  up,  and  the  truth  is  likely 
to  triumph.  The  original  proprietors  of  the  "  Observer" 
took  it  from  me,  but  others  rose  up  and  restored  it  to  me. 
The  paper  will  not  be  published  this  week,  but  will  be 
resumed  the  next,  and  go  on. 

I  am  sure  it  is  doing  good  or  the  Devil  would  not  be 
so  mad  about  it.*  But  I  have  a  hard  battle  of  it.  If 
you  can  do  any  thing  for  me  in  Maine,  I  hope  you  will 
do  it. 


*  Some  time  after  this  a  plain  but  warm  friend  wrote  him — "  It  doc» 
seem  as  though  the  Devil  knowing  his  time  is  short,  had  come  down  in 
gie<it  wrath  to  afflict  David  Nelson,  George  B.  Cheever,  and  Elijah  P. 
Loveioy." —  Eds. 

14 


158  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

I  will  send  you  some  extra  copies  of  the  "  Observer," 
which  I  hope  you  will  circulate.  Tell  me  what  you 
think  of  it,  and  what  the  brethren  generally  think  of  it. 

I  shall  lose  a  good  many  subscribers  here  in  Missouri, 
but  I  hope  to  gain  them  elsewhere.  It  is  important  that 
the  paper  be  kept  up  here.  Thousands  read  it  who  will 
not  subscribe  for  it ;  and  they  cannot  say  of  it,  that  it  is 
"  foreign  interference." 

You  see  our  committees  of  vigilance,  and  all  that. 
They  have  whipped  two  men  here,  nearly  to  death,  mere- 
ly on  suspicion,  and  not  a  single  paper  but  the  "  Obser- 
ver" dares  to  open  its  mouth  on  the  subject. 

There  was  a  time  when  I  did  expect  to  be  tarred  and 
feathered,  and  probably  hung.  And  I  can  truly  say — 
and  I  bless  God  that  I  can  say  it — that  never  in  my  life 
did  I  feel  so  calm,  so  composed,  and  tranquil  in  mind.  I 
am  sure  that  I  could  have  gone  to  the  stake,  as  cheerful 
as  I  ever  went  to  a  bed  of  rest.  But  the  crisis  is  now 
over.  By  the  grace  of  God,  I  stood  firm,  and  having  the 
truth  on  my  side,  I  was  more  than  a  match  for  my  ene- 
mies. Tell  mother  there  is  no  danger,  not  the  least. 

Good  bye.  Love  to  Sarah,  to  sisters,  to  Owen,  to  all. 
The  Lord  be  with  you. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 


St.  Louis,  November  23d,  1835. 
DEAR  MOTHER, 

Knowing  that  you  will  feel  anxious  to  know 
how  matters  proceed  here,  in  St.  Louis,  I  write  to 
you  again,  by  which  you  may,  at  least,  know  that  I 
am  not  yet  hung  up.  Neither  have  I  been  tarred  and 
feathered,  nor  yet  whipped,  nor,  indeed,  in  any  way 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  159 

molested  bodily  ;  of  slander  and  falsehood,  and  malignant 
abuse,  I  have  had  abundance. 

We  are  getting  quiet  again.  The  Lynchites  are  get- 
ting ashamed  of  their  doings.  The  Papists,  the  Irish, 
and  the  pro-slavery  Christians  finding  that  I  am  not  to 
be  driven  nor  frightened  away,  are  beginning  to  feel  and 
act  a  little  more  reasonably.  A  large  majority  of  the 
Protestants  in  the  city  are  decidedly  with  me. 

I  can  but  hope  that  the  cause  of  human  rights,  of 
mercy,  and  of  truth  will  be  advanced  in  this  city  and 
state,  by  the  late  disturbances  here.  For  this,  I  am  sure 
vou  will  pray. 

Let  me  state  to  you  one  fact.  The  man  who  headed 
the  whole  business  of  the  late  public  meetings,  and  who 
was  the  most  active  and  virulent  in  his  endeavours  to 
excite  the  public  mind  against  me,  and  stop  the  "  Obser- 
ver," the  other  night  whipped  his  female  negro  slave  al- 
most to  death.  Her  cries  and  screams  brought  a  multi- 
tude around  his  house,  and  he  narrowly  escaped  having 
his  house  broken  into,  and  himself  made  the  victim  of 
mob  violence.  I  knew  that  the  wicked,  sooner  or  later, 
fall  into  the  pit  they  have  digged  for  others  ;  but  was 
not  this  sudden  retribution  1  And  what  shall  we  say  of 
those  professing  Christians,  yea,  elders  in  the  church, 
who  follow  in  the  wake  of  such  a  man,  to  stop  the  "  Ob- 
server" because  it  advocates  the  Abolition  of  Slavery  ? 
We  have  such  ciders  in  St.  Louis — four  of  them  in  our 
church.  The  woman  was  rescued  from  the  monster  by 
the  constable  and  taken  to  jail.  His  name  is  Arthur  L. 
M'Ginnis,  an  Irishman,  and  states'  attorney  for  this  dis- 
tiict. 

We  have  another  man  here,  walking  our  streets  in 
open  day,  who,  about  a  year  since,  actually  whipped  his 
negro  woman  to  death.  He  was  tried  for  the  murder,  but 


160  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

as  negro  evidence  was  not  admitted,  he  could  not  be 
convicted,  or  rather  was  not.  Such  men.  are  not  mob- 
bed, but  he  who  ventures  to  say  that  Slavery  is  a  sin,  does 
it  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

The  "  Observer"  stopped  one  week,  but  is  going 
again,  and  like  to  go  ;  that  is,  if  the  Christian  public  will 
support  it ;  if  not,  it  must  go  down.  Wife  is  well,  very 
well  for  her.  She  sends  her  love  to  you,  to  sisters,  and 
to  all.  Do  let  me  hear  from  you  soon. 

Affectionately,  your  son, 

ELIJAH  P.   LOVEJOY. 

We  now  insert  the  main  part  of  a  letter  written  in 
January  following,  giving  a  full  account  of  his  trials  up 
to  that  time.  His  letter  was  nearly  all  copied  by  mother, 
and  the  original  sent  away,  which  has  not  been  obtained. 
And,  unfortunately,  the  copy  does  not  give  the  date,  al- 
though it  is  known  to  have  been  written  hi  January. 

St.  Louis,  January,  1836. 
My  DEAR  BROTHER, 

I  have  taken  a  large  sheet  and  expect  to  fill  it ; 
and  if  you  do  not  read  it  through,  mother,  I  know,  will. 
I  have  thought  it  would  be  interesting  to  you  to  have  a 
particular  account  of  those  things  which  have  lately 
transpired  in  this  city.  One  main  reason  why  I  write 
these  things,  is  to  enable  you  to  join  with  me,  in  blessing 
that  grace  which  carried  me  safely  through  all  my  trials. 
I  need  not  say  that  for  some  time  past  the  "  Observer" 
has  been  prominent  in  its  attacks  on  Slavery  and  Popery. 
In  a  community  like  this,  where  those  institutions  exer- 
cise so  controlling  an  influence  upon  society,  it  is  not  at 
all  to  be  wondered  at,  that  a  deep  and  bitter  hostility 
should. come  to  be  fixed  upon  the  "  Observer"  and  its 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  161 

Editor.     This  feeling  of  hostility  I  knew  existed,  and  it 
only  required  some  plausible  occasion  to  break  out. 

The  mobs  in  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York, 
gave  them  this  pretext.  During  the  summer,  an  elder 
in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  was  frequently  coming 
to  me  and  telling  me  to  beware — that  I  was  in  danger — 
that  the  constant  talk  was  about  mobbing  me.  To  this  I 
paid  no  heed.  The  first  of  last  September,  I  went  to 
Potosi,  a  town  about  sixty  miles  south-west  of  this,  to 
attend  a  camp-meeting.  On  my  way  back,  I  heard 
that  two  men  had  waited  in  that  village,  for  half  a  day,  for 
the  purpose  of  tarring  and  feathering  me.  Providentially, 
I  did  not  come  into  town  till  the  next  morning,  and  these 
men,  tired  of  waiting,  went  home.  On  my  return  into 
the  city,  I  found  the  excitement  getting  up,  and  I  was 
informed  by  the  elder  above  mentioned,  that  a  hand-bill 
had  been  printed,  to  circulate  throughout  the  city,  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  a  mob  to  tear  down  the  office  of 
the  "  Observer."  The  Missouri  Argus  openly  called 
upon  the  hurrah  boys  to  mob  me  down.  All  these  things 
did  not  change  the  course  of  the  "  Observer  ;"  and  under 
these  circumstances,  I  left  the  last  of  September,  to  at- 
tend the  meeting  of  our  Presbytery  and  Synod  at  Union, 
a  place  sixty  miles  west  of  this.  I  expected  to  be  ab- 
sent about  four  or  five  weeks.  We  had  a  most  harmo- 
nious session,  and  a  set  of  resolutions  passed  on  the 
subject  of  Slavery.  They  were  of  my  drafting,  and 
passed  unanimously.  From  Union  we  went  to  Marion, 
to  the  meeting  of  the  Synod.  Here  this  same  St.  Louis 
elder  appeared  fresh  from  St.  Louis,  full  of  excitement 
and  alarm,  and  fuss,  about  Slavery.  The  excitement 
was  rising  in  St.  Louis,  and  he  had  a  thousand  frightful 
things  to  tell  the  Synod.  According  to  him,  we  must 
disavow  and  denounce  Abolitionism,  and  every  thing  like 
14* 


162  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

it,  or  the  Presbyterian  Church  would  be  destroyed  in 
Missouri.  We  had  a  warm  debate  ;  a  majority  of  the 
ministers  went  with  me,  but  the  lay  members  turned  the 
scale.  Two  ministers  from  New  England  voted  against 
us — a  fact  as  lamentable  and  disgraceful  as  it  is  true. 
Eastern  men  when  they  go  over  constitute  the  most  ultra 
defenders  of  Slavery.  The  elder  above  mentioned,  pre- 
vious to  his  coming  up  to  the  Synod,  had  written  an  arti- 
cle, published  in  one  of  the  daily  papers  of  the  city,  de- 
claring that  Slavery  had  the  sanction  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, signed  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Reports  now  came  up  thick  from  St.  Louis,  that  they 
were  whipping  men  almost  to  death,  that  the  whole  city 
was  in  commotion,  that  no  one  suspected  of  Abolitionism 
could  live  in  it.  Under  these  circumstances  the  Synod 
adjourned,  and  I  started  for  home,  I  rode  with  a  good 
brother  about  half  the  way — seventy  miles.  We  talked 
the  matter  over.  On  the  whole,  he  advised  me  not  to  go 
into  St.  Louis.  The  same  advice  was  given  me  by  other 
brethren  at  Marion.  I  had  a  wife  ;  any  violence  done 
to  me,  of  a  serious  nature,  I  feared  would  destroy  her. 
Her  health,  at  all  times  delicate,  was  peculiarly  so  now. 
The  brethren  told  me  I  had  no  right  to  sacrifice  her, 
whatever  I  might  do  with  myself.  I  was  taken  exceed- 
ingly ill  on  the  road,  but  managed  to  get  on  to  St. 
Charles,  a  place  about  twenty  miles  from  St.  Louis 

I  found  my  wife  as  I  had  left  her,  sick  in  bed — was 
myself  detained  three  days  by  sickness.  By  this  time  I 
had  fully  made  up  my  mind,  that  duty  and  fidelity  to  my 
Lord  and  Master  required  my  presence  at  St.  Louis. 
My  friends  advised  me  not  to  go  ;  all  but  wife — she  said 
GO,  if  you  think  duty  calls  you. 

Accordingly  I  came  into  St.  Louis.  I  found  the  com- 
munity in  a  state  of  dreadful  alarm  and  excitement.  The 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  163 

press  was  fanning  the  flame — the  Jesuits  at  the  bellows, 
blowing  it  up.  The  "  Observer"  had  been  muzzled  by 
the  original  proprietors.  A  communication  had  been 
sent  me,  signed  by  them,  and  by  my  friend  Mr.  Potts, 
requesting  me  to  say  no  more  on  the  subject  of  Slavery. 
I  was  accused  by  name,  in  one  of  the  city  papers,  of 
being  an  Abolitionist,  in  the  bitterest  manner,  and  the 
public  vengeance  invoked  upon  me.  The  elder  of  whom 
I  spake,  had  come  back  from  the  Synod,  and  in  an  article 
of  the  same  paper,  declared,  that  I  was  acting  contrary  to 
the  wishes  of  the  Synod,  and  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
in  the  state.  This  was  followed  by  a  declaration  of  the 
editor  of  that  paper,  "that  they  would  soon  free  the  church 
of  the  rotten  sheep  in  it ;" — the  very  expression  used.  A 
mob  had  been  raised  to  tear  down  the  "  Observer  Office  ;" 
but  had  concluded,  after  assembling,  to  defer  it  a  little 
longer.  On  my  arrival,  men  came  to  me,  and  told  me  I 
could  not  walk  the  streets  of  St.  Louis  by  night  or  by 
day.  Men's  hearts  were  failing  them.  I  was  the  only 
Protestant  minister  in  the  city.  The  question  then 
arose,  what  must  I  do  ?  Earnestly  I  sought  to  avoid  col- 
lision with  the  excited  and  angry  community,  if  that 
might  be  consistent  with  faithfulness  to  God. 

But  daily,  as  I  sought  counsel  at  the  Throne  of  Grace, 
my  convictions  strengthened,  that  for  me  to  give  way, 
would  be  a  base  desertion  of  duty.  I  was  alone  in  St.  Louis, 
with  none  but  God  of  whom  to- ask  counsel.  But  thrice 
blessed  be  his  name ;  he  did  not  forsake  me.  I  was  ena- 
bled, deliberately  and  unreservedly,  to  surrender  myself  to 
him— thought  of  mother,  of  brothers  and  sisters,  and  above 
all,  of  my  dearest  wife,  and  felt  that  I  could  give  them 
all  up  for  Jesus'  sake.  I  think  I  could  have  gone  to  the 
stake  and  not  a  nerve  have  trembled,  nor  a  lip  quivered. 
Under  the  influence  of  these  feelings,  I  wrote  and  senl 

-*» 
* 


164  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

forth  my  appeal.  The  effect  was  tremendous.  I  was 
immediately  waited  upon  by  the  original  proprietors,  and 
requested  to  retire  from  the  editorship  of  the  "  Obser- 
ver." Even  those  most  friendly,  feared,  lest  in  the  tem- 
per of  the  public  mind,  the  step  was  too  bold.  It  was 
alike  unexpected  to  friend  and  foe.  For  two  days  the 
result  seemed  altogether  doubtful.  But  then  the  tide 
begun  to  turn.  Friends  began  to  rally  and  to  increase. 
Men  who  had  never  taken  the  "  Observer,"  even  some 
infidels,  said  the  stand  taken  must  be  maintained,  or  our 
liberties  were  gone.  The  pressure,  which  seemed  as 
though  it  would  crush  me  to  the  earth,  began  to  lighten. 
Light  began  to  break  in  upon  the  gloomiest  day  I  have 
ever  seen.  I  cannot  think  or  write  about  it  without  my  eyes 
filling  with  tears,  to  think  of  the  deliverance  which  God 
wrought  by  so  weak  and  unworthy  an  instrument  as  I  am. 
The  manner  of  it  was  as  follows  : 

In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the  proprietors, 
(they  could  not  compel  me  to  do  it ;  for  I  had  an  absolute 
legal  control  of  the  office  and  materials,  for  the  purpose 
of  publishing  a  religious  paper  ;  yet  I  felt  it  my  duty  not 
to  keep  them  contrary  to  their  wishes,)  I  gave  up,  and 
thought  my  work  done  in  St.  Louis.  But  mark  the  se- 
quel. I  had  given  my  note  in  the  bank  for  five  hundred 
dollars  to  procure  money  to  pay  'the  workmen.  To  the 
endorsers  of  this,  I  had  mortgaged  the  office  to  secure 
them.  The  note  had  been  due,  and  renewed,  and  was 
about  coming  due  again.  Of  course  when  they  took  the 
office,  they  had  to  take  the  note  with  it.  The  proprie- 
tors met,  and  requested  Mr.  Moore,  (the  name  on  the 
note,)  giving  him  a  written  request  to  that  effect,  to  take 
possession  of  the  office,  break  it  up,  and  pay  himself  and 
the  other  endorsers,  and  they  would  be  satisfied.  He  at 
once  utterly  refused  to  sell  it  at  auction,  whereupon  they 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  165 

authorized  him  to  take  it  and  pay  himself  the  five  hun- 
dred dollars  any  way  he  chose.  Upon  this  he  took  his 
departure,  came  to  the  office,  and  took  possession  of  it ; 
and  immediately  turned  round  to  me.,  and  offered  it  to  me 
again,  saying,  that  rather  than  the  ''  Observer"  should 
stop,  he  would  pay  the  note  himself.  Nothing  could 
have  been  more  unexpected  to  me.  It  was  as  life  from 
the  dead,  as  light  out  of  thickest  darkness. 

He,  however,  required  that  I  should  remove  the  paper 
to  Alton,  in  the  other  state — thinking,  that  such  was  the 
excitement  against  me,  that  I  could  not  possibly  stay.  I 
started  the  next  day  for  Alton, — found  the  brethren  there 
ready  to  receive  me  with  open  arms.  But  while  I  was 
making  my  arrangements,  a  letter  arrived  from  St.  Louis, 
from  Mr.  Moore  and  others,  adjuring  me  by  all  means  to 
come  back. 

Thus  far  the  letter.  He  did  accordingly  return,  and 
went  on  publishing  the  "  Observer."  In  closing  the  ac- 
count of  this  important  period  in  his  history,  it  will  be 
proper  to  insert  a  letter  addressed  to  one  of  the  proprie- 
tors, at  the  time  of  the  excitement  and  difficulties  in  No- 
vember. 

ARCHIBALD  GAMBLE,  ESQ. 

St.  Louis,  November  27th,  1835. 
DEAR  BROTHER, 

In  taking  a  course  to  which  I  was  impelled  bj 
a  sense  of  duty,  I  was  fully  aware  that  I  was  making 
myself  liable  to  suffer  the  pains  and  penalties  of  much 
misrepresentation  and  abuse.  And  I  had  fully  made  up 
my  mind  to  make  no  reply,  whatever,  to  all  that  might 
be  said  of  this  nature,  so  long  as  it  did  not  affect  my 
character  for  veracity  as  a  man  and  a  Christian  minister 


166  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

But  an  article  in  the  last  "  Missouri  Argus,"  signed 
"  A  Presbyterian,"  does  both.  I  therefore  take  the 
liberty  of  enclosing  it  to  you,  and  of  respectfully  asking 
your  reply  to  the  following  questions  : 

1.  When  I  became  the  Editor  of  the  "  St  Louis  Ob- 
server," did  not  the  original  proprietors,  (youself  being 
one,)  execute   to  me  a  legal  instrument,  whereby  I  be- 
came possessed  of  the  whole,  as  completely,  as  though  I 
had  bought  the  materials  with  my  own  money,  with  the 
single  proviso  that  I  was  not  to  alienate  them  from  the 
business   of  publishing  a  religious  newspaper,  (but  for 
this  purpose  I  had  the  power  of  mortgaging  them,)  as 
also  that  when  the  nett  profits  of  the  office  should  amount 
to  five  hundred  dollars,  per  annum,  then  I  was  to  pay  the 
surplus,  (if  any,)  to  the  original  purchasers,  until  they 
had  received  the  original  purchase  money  back,  when 
the  office  was  to  be  wholly  mine  1 

2.  Was  there  in  this  original   agreement   any  right 
whatever  reserved  to  the  original  proprietors,  (ono  of 
whom  drew  up  the  article,)  of  controlling  the  editorial 
course  of  the  "  Observer  ?"     And  on   the   contrary,  is 
there  not,  in  the  article   an   express   disclaimer,  on  the 
part  of  the  original  proprietors,  of  all  responsibilities  or 
liabilities,  as  connected  with  the  "  Observer  Office  ?" 

3.  Did  not  an  article  appear  in  the  "  Observer,"  in  the 
absence  of  the   Editor,  signed  "  The   Proprietors,"  ex- 
pressly   saying   that  nothing   more   on   the    subject   of 
Slavery  should  appear  in  the  columns  of  the  "  Observer  ?" 

4.  After  the  publication  of  my  appeal  to  my  fellow- 
citizens,  when  called  upon  by  yourself  and  brother  Hez- 
ekiah  King,  in  behalf  of  the  original  proprietors,  and  re- 
quested, (it  gives  me  pleasure  to  say  in  the  kindest  man- 
ner,) to  retire  from  the  Editorial  duties  of  the  "  Observer," 
did  I   not  unhesitatingly  reply,  that,  though  I  certainly 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  167 

could  with  legal,  and  perhaps  moral  justice,  hold  the 
"  Observer  Office,"  yet  I  would  not  do  it,  a  single  day 
against  the  wishes  of  the  original  proprietors  ;  and  did  I 
not  promptly  surrender  into  your  hands,  (where  it  now 
is,)  the  legal  instrument  by  which  I  held  the  Office  ? 

5.  When  a  proposition  was  made  to  me  by  yourself 
and  brother  King,  that  the  materials  of  the  "  Observer 
Office"  should  be  sold  me,  for  a  certain  sum,  provided  I 
would  obligate  myself  not  to  publish  a  paper  in  St.  Louis 
county,  did  I  not  unhesitatingly,  and  at  once,  reject  the 
proposition,  saying  I  certainly  would  bind  myself  by  no 
such  pledge  ? 

In  fine,  will  you  please  to  state,  if  in  any  of  the  trans- 
actions between  yourself  and  brother  King,  as  a  com- 
mittee of  the  original  proprietors,  and  myself,  I  said  or 
did  any  thing  that  you  considered  reprehensible  ?  As 
to  any  transactions  between  the  two  gentlemen,  mortga- 
gees of  the  Office,  I  of  course,  know  nothing.  I  am 
sure,  however,  they  will  state  that  I  never  authorized 
them  to  make  any  stipulations  with  the  original  proprie- 
tors, founded  on  any  promise  of  mine,  that  I  would  re- 
move the  "  Observer"  from  St.  Louis. 
Your  Christian  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

On  the  back  of  this  letter  is  found  the  following  en- 
dorsement. 

The  within  letter  was  addressed  to  Mr.  G.  that  to- 
gether with  his  answer,  it  might  be  published.  He  re- 
fused to  answer  it,  though  by  so  doing,  he  might  have 
freed  me  from  every  unkind  imputation  under  which  I 
was  then  labouring.  In  the  end,  however,  all  proved 
for  the  best,  and  I  received  from  a  covenant  God,  that 


168  MEMOIR  OF  THE. 

protection  which  I  vainly  sought  from  some  of  my  breth- 
ren. 

I  have  forgiven  brother  G.  from  my  heart,  and  I  doubt 
not  he  has,  ere  this,  sincerely  repented  of  his  whole 
course  on  that  eventful  occasion. 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

February  IBth,  1836. 

In  July,  1836,  as  the  prospect  was,  that  the  paper 
would  be  better  supported  at  Alton  he  determined  to  re- 
move it  there.  The  same  paper  that  announced  this  de- 
termination, contained  also  his  remarks  upon  the  famous 
charge  of  Judge  Lawless  to  the  Grand  Jury. 

The  .crime  of  which  the  Judge  speaks  in  his  charge, 
was  thus  recorded  and  noticed  in  the  "  Observer." 


AWFUL  MURDER  AND  SAVAGE  BARBARITY. 

St.  Louis,  May  5th,  1835. 

THE  transactions  we  are  about  to  relate,  took  place  on 
Thursday,  a  week  ago,  and  even  yet  we  have  not  re- 
covered from  the  shock  they  gave  us.  Our  hand  trembles 
as  we  record  the  story.  The  following  are  the  particu- 
lars, as  nearly  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain  them 
from  the  city  papers,  and  from  the  relation  of  those,  who 
were  eye  and  ear  witnesses  of  the  termination  of  the 
awful  scene. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Thursday,  the  28th  ult.,  an  affray  be- 
tween two  sailors  or  boatmen  took  place  on  the  steamboat 
landing.  Mr.  George  Hammond,  Deputy  Sheriff,  and 
Mr.  William  Mull,  Deputy  Constable,  in  the  discharge 
of  their  official  duty,  attempted  to  arrest  the  boatmen,  for 
a  breach  of  the  peace.  In  so  doing  they  were  set  upon 


REV.   E.  P.  LOVEJOy.  169 

by  a  mulatto  fellow,  by  the  name  of  Francis  J.  M'Intosh, 
who  had  just  arrived  in  the  city,  as  cook,  on  board  the 
steamboat  Flora,  from  Pittsburgh.  In  consequence  the 
boatmen  escaped,  and  M'Intosh  was  arrested  for  his  in- 
terference with  the  officers.  He  was  carried  before 
Patrick  Walsh,  Esq.,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  for  this 
county,  and  by  him  committed  to  jail,  and  delivered  to 
the  same  officers  to  be  taken  thither.  On  his  way  he 
inquired  what  his  punishment  would  be,  and  being  told 
that  it  would  not  be  less  than  five  years'  imprisonment  in 
the  State  Prison,  he  immediately  broke  loose  from  the 
officers,  drew  a  long  knife  and  made  a  desperate  blow  at 
Mr.  Mull,  but  fortunately  missed  him.  Unfortunately, 
however,  a  second  blow,  aimed  with  the  same  savage 
violence,  had  better  success,  and  struck  Mr.  Mull  in  the 
right  side,  and  wounded  him  severely.  He' was  then 
seized,  by  the  shoulder,  by  Mr.  Hammond,  whereat  he 
turned  and  stabbed  him  in  the  neck.  The  knife  struck 
the  lower  part  of  the  chin  and  passed  deeply  into  the 
neck,  cutting  the  jugular  vein  and  the  larger  arteries. 
Mr.  H.  turned  from  his  murderer,  walked  about  sixty 
steps,  fell  and  expired  !  Mr.  M.  although  dangerously 
wounded,  was  able  to  pursue  the  murderer  who  had  fled, 
until  his  cries  alarmed  the  people  in  the  vicinity.  They 
turned  out,  and  without  much  difficulty  secured  the  blood- 
thirsty wretch  and  lodged  him  in  jail. 

The  bloody  deeds  of  which  M'Intosh  had  been  guilty 
soon  became  known  through  the  city  ;  and  crowds  col- 
lected at  the  spot,  where  the  body  of  Mr.  Hammond  lay 
weltering  in  its  blood.  The  excitement  was  intense, 
and  soon  might  be  heard  above  the  tumult,  the  voices  of  a 
few,  exhorting  the  multitude  to  take  summary  vengeance. 
The  plan  and  process  of  proceeding  were  soon  resolved 
on.  A.  mob  was  immediately  organized  and  went  for- 
15 


170  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

ward  to  the  jail  in  search  of  their  victim.  The  Sheriff, 
Mr.  Brotherton,  made  some  attempts  to  oppose  their 
illegal  violence.  Apprehensive  for  the  fate  of  his  family, 
who  occupied  a  portion  of  the  jail  building,  he  then  re- 
tired taking  them  along  with  him  to  a  place  of  safety. 
Another  of  our  fellow-citizens  courageously  attempted  to 
reason  with  the  angry  mob,  and  to  stay  them  from  their 
fearful  proceedings.  When,  however,  '  he  saw  that  he 
could  prevail  nothing,  but  that  rather  a  tumult  was  made,' 
being  himself  threatened  with  violence,  he  was  compel- 
led to  retire  from  the  place  and  leave  the  enraged  multi- 
tude to  do  their  work.  All  was  done  with  the  utmost 
deliberation  and  system,  and  an  awful  stillness  pervaded 
the  scene,  broken  only  by  the  sound  of  the  implements 
employed  in  demolishing  the  prison  doors.  Those  who 
have  read  Scott's  description  of  the  Porteus'  mob,  as 
given  in  the  Heart  of  Mid  Lothian,  will  have  an  accurate 
idea  of  the  manner  of  proceeding  at  the  jail,  on  Thursday 
night.  All  was  still ;  men  spoke  to  each  other  in  whis- 
pers, but  it  was  a  whisper  which  made  the  blood  curdle 
to  hear  it,  and  indicated  the  awful  energy  of  purpose,  with 
which  they  were  bent  upon  sacrificing  the  life  of  their 
intended  victim.  Armed  persons  were  stationed  as  guards 
to  protect  those  engaged  in  breaking  down  the  doors. 

At  length  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  at  night,  the 
cell  of  the  wretch  was  reached.  Loud  shouts  of  exe- 
cration and  triumph  rent  the  air,  as  he  was  dragged  forth, 
and  hurried  away  to  the  scene  of  the  burnt-sacrifice  ! 
Some  seized  him  by  the  hair,  some  by  the  arms  and  legs, 
and  in  this  way  he  was  carried  to  a  large  locust  tree,  in 
the  rear  of  the  town,  not  far  from  the  jail.  He  was  then 
chained  to  the  tree  with  his  back  against  its  trunk,  and 
facing  to  the  south.  The  wood,  consisting  of  rails,  plank, 
<fec.,  was  then  piled  up  before  him,  about  as  high  as  his 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  171 

knees,  shavings  and  a  brand  were  brought,  and  the  fire 
kindled  ! 

Up  to  this  time,  as  we  have  been  informed,  M'lntosh 
uttered  not  a  word  ;  but  when  the  fire  had  seized  upon 
its  victim,  he  begged  that  some  one  in  the  crowd  would 
shoot  him.  He  then  commenced  singing  a  hymn  and 
trying  to  pray.  Afterwards  he  hung  his  head  and  suffer- 
ed in  silence,  until  roused  by  some  one  saying,  that  he 
must  be  already  out  of  his  misery.  Upon  this,  though 
wrapped  in  flames,  and  though  the  fire  had  obliterated 
the  features  of  humanity,  he  raised  his  head,  and  spoke 
out  distinctly,  saying,  '  No,  no ;  I  feel  as  much  as  any 
of  you,  I  hear  you  all ;  shoot  me,  shoot  me.'  He  was 
burning  about  twenty  minutes,  before  life  became  ex- 
tinct. 

But  the  tale  of  depravity  and  wo  is  not  yet  all  told. 
After  the  crowd  had  somewhat  dispersed,  a  rabble  of  boys 
who  had  attended  to  witness  the  horrid  rites,  commenced 
amusing  themselves  by  throwing  stones  at  the  black  and 
disfigured  corpse,  as  it  stood  chained  to  the  tree.  The 
object  was  to  see  who  should  first  succeed  in  breaking 
the  skull ! 

Such,  according  to  the  best  information  we  have  been 
able  to  obtain,  is  a  faithful  description  of  the  scene,  that 
has  been  transacted  in  our  midst.  It  has  given  us  pain 
to  record  it ;  but  in  doing  so,  we  feel,  deeply  feel,  that 
we  are  fulfilling  a  solemn  duty,  which  as  one  of  its  mem- 
bers we  owe  to  this  community,  and  as  an  American 
citizen  to  our  country  at  large.  Let  no  one  suppose  that 
we  would  lightly  say  a  word,  in  derogation  of  the  charac- 
ter of  the  city  in  which  we  live  :  on  the  contrary  we 
have,  as  is  natural,  a  strong  desire  to  sustain  and  vindi- 
cate its  reputation.  But  when  constitutional  law  and  or- 
der are  at  stake,  when  the  question  lies  between  justice 


172  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

regularly  administered  or  the  wild  vengeance  of  a  mob, 
then  there  is  but  one  side  on  which  the  patriot  and  the 
Christian  can  rally  ;  but  one  course  for  them  to  pursue. 

We  have  drawn  the  above  gloomy  and  hideous  picture, 
not  for  the  purpose  of  holding  it  up  as  a  fair  representa- 
tion of  the  moral  condition  of  St.  Louis — for  we  loudly 
protest  against  any  such  conclusion,  and  we  call  upon 
our  fellow-citizens  to  join  us  in  such  protest — but  that  the 
immediate  actors  in  the  horrid  tragedy,  may  see  the  work 
of  their  hands,  and  shrink  in  horror  from  a  repetition  of 
it,  and  in  humble  penitence  seek  forgiveness  of  that 
community,  whose  laws  they  have  so  outraged,  and  of 
that  GOD  whose  image  they  have,  without  his  permis- 
sion, wickedly  defaced  ;  and  that  we  may  all  see,  (and 
be  warned  in  time,)  the  legitimate  result  of  the  spirit  of 
mobism,  and  whither,  unless  arrested  in  its  first  out- 
breakings,  it  is  sure  to  carry  us.  In  Charlostown  it  burns 
a  Convent  over  the  head  of  defenceless  women  ;  in 
Baltimore  it  desecrates  the  Sabbath,  and  works  all  that 
day  in  demolishing  a  private  citizen's  house  ;  in  Vicks- 
burg  it  hangs  up  gamblers,  three  or  four  in  a  row  ;  and 
in  St.  Louis  it  forces  a  man — a  hardened  wretch  cer- 
tainly, and  one  that  deserved  to  die,  but  not  thus  to  die — 
it "  forces  him  from  beneath  the  aegis  of  our  constitution 
and  laws,  hurries  him  to  the  stake  and  burns  him  alive  ! 

It  is  not  yet  five  years  since  the  first  mob,  within  the 
memory  of  man,  (for  the  French  settlers  of  this  city  were 
a  peaceable  people,  and  their  descendants  continue  so,) 
was  organized  in  St.  Louis.  They  commenced  opera- 
tions, by  tearing  down  the  brothels  of  the  city ;  and  the 
good  citizens  of  the  place,  not  aware  of  the  danger,  and 
in  consideration  of  the  good  done,  aside  from  the  manner 
of  doing  it,  rather  sanctioned  the  proceeding,  at  least 
they  did  not  condemn  it.  The  next  thing  was  to  burn 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  173 

our  Governor  in  effigy,  because  in  the  discharge  of  one 
of  the  most  solemn  functions  belonging  to  his  official 
character,  he  had  not  acted  in  accordance  with  the  pub- 
lic sentiment,  of  a  part,  of  this  community.  The  next 
achievement  was  to  tear  down  a  gambling-house  ;  and 
this  was  done  last  winter.  The  next  and  last  we  need 
not  again  repeat. 

And  now  we  make  our  appeal  to  the  citizens  of  this 
community,  and  wherever  else  our  voice  can  be  heard, 
and  ask,  and  ask  with  the  most  heart-felt  anxiety,  is  it 
not  time  to  STOP  ?  We  know  that  in  a  case  like  the  pre- 
sent, it  is  difficult  to  withdraw  our  thoughts  and  feelings 
from  the  great  provocation  to  violence,  to  be  found  in  the 
murderous  atrocity  of  the  wretch  who  has  so  fearfully 
atoned  for  his  crime.  But  we  do  say,  and  insist,  that 
these  considerations  must  not  be  permitted  to  enter  at  all, 
into  our  reasoning  and  practice  on  this  point.  We  must 
stand  by  the  constitution  and  laws,  or  ALL  is  GONE  ! 

For  ourselves,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  we 
have  awful  forebodings  on  this  subject.  Not  of  St.  Louis 
in  particular,  for  the  experience  of  the  past  year  has 
shown,  that  we  are  '  not  sinners  above  other'  cities — but 
for  our  whole  country.  We  have,  as  a  nation,  violated 
GOD'S  Holy  Sabbath,  profaned  his  Holy  Name,  and 
given  ourselves  up  to  covetousness,  licentiousness,  and 
every  evil  work  ;  and  He  in  return  seems  evidently  to  be 
withdrawing  the  influences  of  His  Spirit  from  the  land, 
and  leaving  us  to  be  '  filled  with  our  own  devices.'  And 
the  consequences  are  plainly  to  be  seen.  Men  and  com- 
munities, hitherto  peaceable  and  orderly,  are  breaking 
over  all  restraints  of  law  and  shame,  and  deeds  are  done 
amongst  us  which  show  that  man  is  yet  a  fiend  at  heart. 

We  visited  the  scene  of  the  burning,  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing, about  noon.  We  stood  and  gazed  for  a  moment 
15* 


174  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

or  two,  upon  the  blackened  and  mutilated  trunk — for  that 
was  all  which  remained — of  M'Intosh  before  us,  and  as 
we  turned  away,  in  bitterness  of  heart,  we  prayed  that 
we  might  not  live.  The  prayer,  and  perhaps  the  feeling 
which  dictated  it,  might  be  wrong,  yet  still,  after  a  week's 
reflection,  our  heart  will  still  repeat  it.  For  so  fearful 
are  our  anticipations  of '  the  calamities  that  are  to  come 
upon  this  nation,  (and  which  unless  averted  by  a  speedy 
and  thorough  repentance,  we  have  no  more  doubt  will 
fall  upon  us,  than  we  have  that  a  God  of  Holiness  and 
Justice  is  our  Supreme  Governor,)  that  were  our  work 
done,  and  were  it  His  will,  we  would  gladly  be  '  taken 
away  from  the  evil  to  come.'  Meantime,  let  every  Chris- 
tian, and  especially  every  Minister  of  the  sanctuary,  flee 
to  a  Throne  of  Grace,  and  standing  between  the  porch 
and  the  altar,  weeping,  pray — '  Spare  thy  people,  Oh 
Lord,  and  give  not  thy  heritage  to  reproach.'  " 

In  the  No.  dated  July  21st,  1836,  is  found  the  fol- 
lowing article. 

THE  CHARGE  OF  JUDGE  LAWLESS. 

11  THE  horrid  transaction  which  called  forth  the  doc- 
ument to  which  we  now  refer,  is  fresh  in  the  minds  of 
all  our  readers.  A  fellow-creature  was  torn  from  prison, 
by  an  infuriated  mob,  and  burned  alive  in  the  city  of  St. 
Louis.  This  deed  it  became  the  duty  of  Judge  Lawless 
to  bring  before  the  constituted  authorities  of  the  land,  and 
he  has  done  it  in  the  charge  to  the  Grand  Jury,  now  lying 
before  us.  In  this  charge  the  ground  is  openly  taken 
that  a  crime,  which  if  committed,  by  one  or  two,  would 
be  punishable  with  death,  may  be  perpetrated  by  the 
multitude  with  impunity !  ! !  Says  the  Judge  : 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  175 

'  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  destruction  of  the  murderer 
of  Hammond  was  the  act,  as  I  have  said,  of  the  many — 
of  the  multitude,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  these  words — 
not  the  act  of  numerable  and  ascertainable  malefactors  ; 
but  of  congregated  thousands,  seized  upon  and  impelled 
by  that  mysterious,  metaphysical,  and  almost  electric 
frenzy,  which,  in  all  ages  and  nations,  has  hurried  on 
the  infuriated  multitude  to  deeds  of  death  and  destruc- 
tion— then,  I  say,  act  not  at  all  in  the  matter ;  the  case 
then  transcends  your  jurisdiction — it  is  beyond  the  reach 
of  human  law !!!!!!!!!!!!' 

1.  In  this  charge  of  Judge  Lawless  we  see  exemplified 
and  illustrated  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  we  have,  for 
years,  been  endeavouring  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  our 
countrymen,  viz.  that  foreigners  educated  in  the  old 
world,  never  can  come  to  have  a  proper  understanding 
of  American  constitutional  law.  Judge  Lawless  is  a 
foreigner — a  naturalized  one  it  is  true,  but  still  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes  a  foreigner — he  was  educated  and 
received  his  notions  of  government  amidst  the  turbulent 
agitations  of  Ireland,  and  at  a  period  too,  when  anarchy 
and  illegal  violence  prevailed  to  a  degree  unprecedented 
even  in  the  annals  of  that  wretched,  and  most  unhappy 
land.  Amidst  the  lawless  and  violent  proceedings  of 
those  times  Mr.  Lawless  grew  up.  He  is  next  found  in 
arms,  in  the  service  of  France,  fighting  against  the  coun- 
try to  whom  his  allegiance  was  due.  His  third  appear- 
ance in  a  public  capacity,  is  as  Judge  in  one  of  the  re- 
publican states  of  America,  where  he  delivers  such  a 
charge  to  our  Grand  Jury,  as  the  one  now  under  our 
consideration. 

We  disclaim  all  wish  or  intention  to  wound  the  feel- 
ings, or  injure  the  personal  reputation  of  Judge  Lawless  ; 
but  we  do  wish  to  disarm  the  monstrous  doctrines  he  has 


*m 
J76  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

promulgated  from  the  bench,  of  their  power  either  as  a 
present  rule,  or  a  future  precedent :  and  we  apprehend 
that  when  the  school  in  which  the  Judge  was  educated, 
is  known  and  candidly  considered,  his  notions  of  practi- 
cal justice,  at  once  so  novel  to  Americans,  so  absurd  and 
so  wicked,  will  have  little  influence  with  our  sound 
hearted,  home  educated  republicans. 

2.  Judge  Lawless  is  a  Papist ;  and  in  his  Charge  we 
see  the  cloven  foot  of  Jesuitism,  peeping  out  from  under 
the  veil  of  almost  every  paragraph  in  the  Charge.  What 
is  Jesuitism  but  another  name  for  the  doctrine  that  princi- 
ples ought  to  change  according  to  circumstances  ?     And 
this  is  the  very  identical  doctrine  of  the  Charge.     A  hor- 
rid crime  must   not  be   punished  because,  forsooth,  it 
would  be  difficult  perhaps  to  do  it.     The  principles  of 
Justice  and  of  constitutional  law,  must  yield  to  a  doubtful 
question  of  present  expediency.     Doubtless  the  Judge  is 
not  aware  whence  he  derived  these  notions  ;  and  yet  it 
cannot  be   doubted  that  they  came  originally  from   St. 
Omers,  where  so  many  Irish  priests  are  educated.     So 
true  is  it,  that  Popery  in  its  very  essential  principles  is 
incompatible  with  regulated,  civil  or   religious  liberty. 
Our  warning  voice  on  this   subject  is  lifted  up  in  vain  ; 
but  some  of  those  who  now  hear  it,  will  live  to  mourn 
over  their  present  incredulity  and  indifference. 

3.  In  his   answer  to  the  remarks  of  the  New  York 
American,  Judge  Lawless  intimates  that  the  safety  of  this 
office  is  owing  to  the  course  he  took  in  this  matter.    We 
do  not  believe  him  ;  but  if  he  says  true,  then  what  a  dis- 
graceful truth  to  St.  Louis  !     What  had  the  '  Observer' 
done  ?     It   had   told   the    story   of  the   horrid  tragedy 
enacted  here  in  plain,  unvarnished  terms,  just  as  the  af- 
fair occurred.     No  one  pretends  that  our  version  of  the 
affair  was  incorrect,  and  we  added  nothing  more  than  in 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  177 

the  spirit  of  earnest  and  solemn  warning,  to  entreat  our 
fellow-citizens  to  stay  such  proceedings,  or  their  all  was 
lost.  And  for  this  the  Judge  says,  but  for  his  interposi- 
tion, our  office  would  have  been  destroyed.  That  is,  a 
mob  in  St.  Louis  burns  a  man  up,  and  then  citizens  tear 
down  the  office  of  the  press,  that  dares  to  reprobate  such 
an  act.  This  asser'tion  of  the  Judge  is  a  gross  libel  upon 
the  city,  as  we  verily  believe.  We  have  never  heard 
of  any  threats  to  purl  down  our  office,  which  did  not  origi- 
nate with  his  countrymen — mark  that. 

But  even  supposing  it  true,  and  that  our  office  was  en- 
dangered by  what  we  wrote  concerning  the  M'Intosh 
tragedy,  we  desire  no  such  volunteers  as  Judge  Lawless, 
with  such  principles,  to  come  to  our  rescue.  We  reject 
all  such.  We  desire  not  to  be  saved  at  such  an  expense. 
To  establish  our  institutions  of  civil  and  religious  liberty, 
to  obtain  freedom  of  opinion  and  of  the  press,  guaranteed 
by  constitutional  law,  cost  thousands,  yea,  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  valuable  lives.  And  let  them  not  be  parted 
with,  at  least,  for  less  than  cost.  We  covet  not  the  loss 
of  property  nor  the  honours  of  martyrdom ;  but  better, 
far  better,  that  the  office  of  the  '  Observer'  should  be 
scattered  in  fragments  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven  ;  yea, 
better  that  editor,  printer,  and  publishers,  should  be 
chained  to  the  same  tree  as  M'Intosh,  and  share  his  fate, 
than  that  the  doctrines  promulgated  by  Judge  Lawless 
from  the  bench,  should  become  prevalent  in  this  commu- 
nity. For  they  are  subversive  of  all  law,  and  at  once 
open  the  door  for  the  perpetration,  by  a  congregated  mob, 
calling  themselves  the  people,  of  every  species  of  vio- 
lence, and  that  too  with  perfect  impunity.  Society  is 
resolved  into  its  first  elements,  and  every  man  must  hold 
his  property  and  his  life,  at  the  point  of  the  dagger. 

Having  travelled  somewhat  extensively  of  late,  we  have 


178  MEMOIR   OF  THE 

had  opportunity  of  learning  the  impression  made  abroad 
by  recent  occurrences  in  this  city.  And  we  know  that 
the  feeling  excited  by  this  charge  of  Judge  Lawless,  is 
far  more  unfavourable  than  that  consequent  upon  the 
burning  of  M'Intosh.  For  that,  say  they,  was  the  act  of 
an  excited  mob,  but  here  is  the  Judge  on  his  bench,  in 
effect  sanctioning  it ! ! 

The  subject  grows  upon  our  hands,  but  we  forbear. 
We  again  repeat  that  we  have  had  no  wish  in  all  we  have 
said,  to  injure  the  reputation  of  Judge  Lawless.  The 
subject  is  one  altogether  too  important  to  allow  personal 
feelings  to  enter  into  the  discussion  of  it,  either  one  way 
or  the  other.  For  all  that  part  of  his  charge  where  an 
attempt  is  made  to  identify  the  '  Observer'  with  Aboli- 
tionism, and  then  charge  upon  that  the  M'Intosh  tragedy, 
we  can  only  say,  that  we  have  not  the  least  doubt,  that 
the  Judge  is  perfectly  sincere  in  the  expression  of  this 
opinion.  And  the  ignorance  and  prejudice  which  could 
lead  to  such  an  expression  of  opinion,  however  censura- 
ble in  the  Judge  is  still  more  pitiable  in  the  man.  Of 
this  part  of  the  charge,  Charles  Hammond,  Esq.  of  the 
Cincinnati  Gazette,  says — '  It  is"  as  fanatical  as  the 
highest  state  of  Abolition  fanaticism  can  be,'  " 

In  the  same  paper  in  which  these  criticisms  appeared, 
he  gave  his  reasons  for  removing  to  Alton. 

THE  OBSERVER— REMOVAL. 

June  2lst,  1836. 

"  AFTER  much  deliberation,  and  a  consultation  with  a 
number  of  our  friends,  we  have  determined  hereafter  to 
issue  the  '  Observer'  from  Alton,  Illinois. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  179 

In  taking  this  step  we  have  not  been  actuated  solely, 
nor  even  mainly,  by  personal  considerations.  Doubtless 
it  will  be,  under  all  circumstances,  more  for  our  personal 
comfort  to  reside  at  Alton,  but  so  long  as  duty  seemed  to 
require  our  remaining  here,  we  were  determined  to  re- 
main, at  whatever  sacrifice  of  personal  comfort,  reputa- 
tion, or  safety. 

The  way  now  seems  opened,  in  the  Providence  of 
God,  to  change  the  location  of  the  '  Observer,'  without 
in  the  least  impairing  its  usefulness.  On  the  contrary, 
we  believe  it  will  be  much  more  useful  under  the  present 
arrangement  than  it  has  been.  It  will  enjoy  equal  facil- 
ities for  circulation  in  the  two  states,  at  Alton,  as  at  St. 
Louis ;  and  we  hope  to  maintain  the  same  connection 
with  our  subscribers  in  both  the  states  as  formerly. 

The  chief  reason,  (and  without  which  it  would  not 
have  been  removed,)  for  removing  to  Alton,  is,  that  there 
is  no  doubt  the  paper  will  be  better  supported  there  than 
it  now  is,  or  is  likely  to  be,  remaining  in  St.  Louis.  Wa 
hope  this  reason  will  be  perfectly  satisfactory  to  all  our 
good  friends  in  Missouri,  who  might  otherwise  think  its 
removal  uncalled  for." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WE  now  come  to  his  arrival  at  Alton  the  scene  of  his 
last  sufferings  and  death.  The  causes  of  his  removal 
have  already  been  given.  Speaking  of  the  destruction  of 
his  press  on  its  arrival  at  Alton,  he  thus  writes  in  his  pa- 
per of  the  8th  of  September,  that  being  the  first  number 
issued  at  that  place. 

"  The  real  facts  of  the  case,  as  we  have  before  stated, 
are  simply  these.  Contrary  to  our  stipulation  with  the 
officer  of  the  steamboat  which  brought  it,  the  press  was 
landed  here  on  Sabbath  morning,  about  daylight.  We 
declined  receiving  it  on  that  day.  It  lay  in  safety,  on 
the  bank,  through  the  Sabbath,  until  two  or  three  o'clock 
on  Monday  morning,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  five  or  six 
individuals.  And  of  these  much  doubt  exists,  as  we 
learn,  in  the  minds  of  many,  as  to  whether  they  were 
citizens  of  Alton  or  not.  If  to  this  we  add  that  a  very  full 
meeting  of  the  citizens,  on  the  next  day  after,  (July  22d, 
1836,)  or  rather  the  same  day  of  the  outrage,  voluntarily 
and  unanimously  pledged  themselves  to  make  good  the 
loss  occasioned  by  the  destruction  of  the  press,  they 
surely  must  be  acquitted  of  all  participation,  in  thought 
or  deed,  in  the  disgraceful  act." 

At  this  meeting  several  resolutions  were  passed,  ex- 
pressing their  disapprobation  of  Abolition,  and,  as  the 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  RE\r.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  181 

above  extract  intimates,  condemning  in  severe  language, 
the  doings  of  the  mob,  and  pledging  themselves  to  make 
up  for  the  loss  of  the  press.  It  was  at  this  meeting  that 
the  pledge,  of  which  so  much  has  been  written,  is  said 
to  have  been  given.  To  this  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
recur  hereafter.  It  should  be  remembered,  that  owing  to 
sickness,  and  other  "providential  hindrances,"  the  "  Ob- 
server" was  not  issued  from  the  middle  of  July  to  the  8th 
of  September.  During  this  time,  the  following  letters 
were  written,  which,  with  the  remarks  above,  will  ex- 
plain themselves. 


Alton,  (Illinois,)  July  BOtk,  1836. 
DEAR  BROTHER  JOSEPH, 

By  the  Alton  Telegraph,  which  I  send  you  to- 
day, you  will  learn  that  I  have  had  the  honour  of  being 
mobbed  at  last.  I  have  been  expecting  the  catastrophe 
for  some  time,  and  now  it  has  come. 

The  "  Observer"  will  have  informed  you  of  the  imme- 
diate cause  of  the  outrage.  Because  I  dared  to  comment 
upon  the  charge  of  Judge  Lawless — an  article  so  fraught 
with  mischief  and  falsehood  ;  the  mob,  which  I  chose  to 
call  his  officials,  tore  down  my  office.  What  a  comment 
upon  the  freedom  of  our  institutions  ! 

The  act  was  the  more  mean  and  dastardly,  inasmuch 
as  I  had  previously  determined  to  remove  the  office  of  the 
"  Observer"  to  this  place,  and  had  made  all  my  arrange- 
ments accordingly,  and  had  so  stated  in  the  number  of 
the  paper  issued  previous  to  the  act  of  the  mob. 

You  will  also  see  that  on  my  arrival  here,  a  few  mis- 
creants undertook  to  follow  the  example  of  St.  Louis,  and 
so  demolished  what  was  left  of  the  printing  office.     How- 
ever, they  met  with  but  little  countenance  here.     Thus 
16 


182  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

the  whole  of  the  "  St.  Louis  Observer"  is  destroyed.  Not, 
however,  until  by  the  influence  it  has  exerted,  it  has  paid 
for  itself,  as  I  think.  It  has  kindled  up  a  fire  in  Mis- 
souri, that  will  never  go  out,  until  Popery  and  Slavery  are 
extinct.  And,  moreover,  I  hope  its  very  death  will  tell 
with  effect  upon  the  cause  of  human  rights  and  religious 
liberty. 

Tell  my  dear  mother,  that  I  am  no  whit  discouraged. 
I  feel  myself  standing  on  the  broad  basis  of  eternal  jus- 
tice, and  so  long  as  I  stand  there,  full  well  do  I  know, 
that  all  the  hosts  of  hell  cannot  prevail  against  me.  I 
have  found  God  a  very  present  help  in  this  my  time  of 
need.  He  has  gloriously  fulfilled  his  promises,  and  held 
me  up,  so  that  I  have  been  astonished  at  the  little  effect 
produced  upon  my  feelings  by  these  outrages.  But  I 
determined  when  He  carried  me  through  last  fall,  that  I 
would  never  again  distrust  Him. 

Though  cast  down,  I  am  not  destroyed,  nor  in  the  least 
discouraged  ;  and  am  now  busily  engaged  in  endeavour- 
ing to  make  arrangements  for  starting  the  "  Observer" 
again.  I  think  I  shall  succeed.  I  do  believe  the  Lord 
has  yet  a  work  for  me  to  do  in  contending  with  his  ene- 
mies, and  the  enemies  of  humanity.  I  have  got  the  har- 
ness on,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  lay  it  off,  except  at  His 
command. 

What  is  said  in  the  resolutions  at  the  public  meeting 
here  about  Abolitionism,  and  all  that,  is  all  for  effect.  I 
told  them,  and  told  the  truth,  that  I  did  not  come  here  to 
establish  an  Abolition  paper,  and  that  in  the  sense  they 
understood  it,  I  was  no  Abolitionist,  but  that  I  was  the 
uncompromising  enemy  of  Slavery,  and  so  expected  to 
live,  and  so  to  die. 

My  health  is  good,  and  so  is  John's.  My  dear  wife  is 
sick  with  a  fever,  but  I  think  she  is  recovering.  The 


REV.   E.   P.   LOVEJOY.  183 

babe  is  well.     Give  my  love  to  all.     Tell  sister  Sarah.  I 
wish  she  would  write  to  me.     Tell  all  to  write.     I  am 
so  very  busy  that  I  can  write  no  more. 
Your  affectionate  brother, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY." 

Alton,  August  31st,  1836. 
MY  DEAREST  MOTHER, 

Having  a  little  time  now,  inasmuch  as  I  am 
unable  to  do  any  thing  else,  I  have  determined  to  write 
you  a  somewhat  detailed  account  of  the  scenes  through 
which  I  have  lately  been  called  to  pass.  I  know  you 
will  be  interested  in  every  detail,  though  some  of  them 
might  seem  too  minute  for  other  eyes  than  your's. 

The  account  of  the  mob  in  St.  Louis  you  have  had  in 
my  letter  to  Joseph,  and  in  my  Extra,  received  I  pre- 
sume before  this  time,  as  also  of  the  second  edition  of  it 
enacted  at  this  place. 

A  few  of  the  brethren  here  immediately  convened 
after  this  last  event,  and  it  was  determined  that  a  new 
printing  office  should  be  procured  without  delay  from 
Cincinnati.  Accordingly  I  went  on  to  procure  it.  On 
my  way  I  became  quite  unwell,  owing  to  the  excitement, 
anxiety,  and  exposure  of  the  week  or  two  previous.  By 
the  time  I  reached  Cincinnati  I  was  fit  only  for  the  bed, 
but  I  could  not  prevail  with  myself  to  give  up.  I  there- 
fore kept  about,  finished  my  business,  and  started  for 
home,  with  my  materials  for  the  office  along.  On  my 
arrival  at  Louisville  I  found  my  illness  so  increasing 
upon  me,  that  I  was  compelled  to  stop  ;  and  took  my  bed 
with  a  bilious  fever  deeply  hold  of  me.  I  was  received 
into  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Banks — formerly  from  Con- 
necticut— where  I  was  treated  with  all  the  tenderness 
and  assiduity  that  could  have  been  bestowed  upon  a  son. 


184  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Providentially  too  1  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  skilful  phy- 
sician, so  that  at  the  end  of  a  week  I  found  myself  so 
far  convalescent,  that  I  ventured  to  pursue  my  journey. 
I  continued  to  mend  till  I  reached  St.  Charles.  But 
riding  from  that  place  to  this — a  distance  of  twenty  miles 
— and  starting  early  in  the  morning,  which  was  raw  and 
chilly,  by  the  time  I  arrived  I  found  myself  much  chilled, 
and  feared  a  relapse.  However,  such  was  the  pressing 
need  of  my  attention  to  the  business  of  starting  the 
"  Observer,"  that  I  could  not  think  of  giving  up.  I  ac- 
cordingly kept  about  from  Monday — the  day  I  arrived — 
till  Wednesday  evening  last,  when  I  was  again  driven  to 
my  bed  with  a  relapse  of  my  fever,  attended  with  cold 
sweats,  and  alternate  chills  and  fever.  I  am  now  better, 
and  with  prudence  hope  to  regain  my  health,  though  still 
very  weak. 

Thus  you  see,  my  dear  mother,  that  my  path  through 
this  life  is  not  a  flowery  one.  And  to  add  to  my  diffi- 
culties, both  my  attacks  of  illness  have  come  upon  me 
in  the  absence  of  my  dear  wife.  When  I  had  deter- 
mined to  remove  from  St.  Louis,  she  went  to  her 
mother's  in  St.  Charles,  where  she  still  is.  And  what 
is  worse,  she  too  has  been  severely  sick  with  very  much 
such  an  attack  as  mine.  Our  dear  babe  thus  far,  thanks 
to  a  merciful  Providence,  remains  well. 

Why,  when  my  services  are  so  much  needed,  I  should 
be  laid  up  on  a.  bed  of  sickness,  I  cannot  tell ;  why, 
when  God  has  in  his  wise  and  holy  providence  let  loose 
upon  me  angry,  and  wicked  men,  He  should  also  so 
heavily  lay  his  own  hand  upon  me,  I  cannot  see,  but  he 
can,  and  I  desire  to  submit  without  a  murmur.  I  can 
now  feel,  as  I  never  felt  before,  the  wisdom  of  Paul's 
advice  not  to  marry  ;  and  yet  I  would  not  be  without  the 
consolations,  which  my  dear  wife  and  child  afford  me, 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOV.  185 

for  all  the  world.  Still  I  cannot  but  feel  that  it  is  harder 
to  "  fight  valiantly"  for  the  truth,  when  I  risk  not  only 
my  own  comfort,  ease,  and  reputation,  and  even  life,  but 
also  that  of  another  beloved  one.  But  in  this  I  am  greatly 
favoured.  My  dear  wife  is  a  perfect  heroine.  Though 
of  delicate  health,  she  endures  affliction  more  calmly 
than  I  had  supposed  possible  for  a  woman  to  do.  Never 
has  she  by  a  single  word  attempted  to  turn  me  from  the 
scene  of  warfare  and  danger — never  has  she  whispered 
a  feeling  of  discontent  at  the  hardships  to  which  she  has 
been  subjected  in  consequence  of  her  marriage  to  me, 
and  those  have  been  neither  few  nor  small,  and  some  of 
them  peculiarly  calculated  to  wound  the  sensibility  of  a 
woman.  She  has  seen  me  shunned,  hated,  and  reviled, 
by  those  who  were  once  my  dearest  friends  —  she  has 
heard  the  execrations  wide  and  deep  upon  my  head,  and 
she  has  only  clung  to  me  the  more  closely,  and  more 
devotedly.  When  I  told  her  that  the  mob  had  destroyed 
a  considerable  part  of  our  furniture  along  with  their  other 
depredations,  "  No  matter,"  said  she,  "  what  they  have 
destroyed  since  they  have  not  hurt  you."  Such  is  woman! 
and  such  is  the  woman  whom  God  has  given  me. 

And  now  do  you  ask,  Are  you  discouraged  ?  I  an- 
swer promptly,  no.  I  have  opened  my  mouth  for  the 
dumb,  I  have  plead  the  cause  of  the  poor  and  oppressed 
— I  have  maintained  the  rights  of  humanity,  and  of  na- 
ture outraged  in  the  person  of  my  fellow-men  around  me, 
and  I  have  done  it,  as  is  my  nature,  openly,  boldly,  and 
in  the  face  of  day,  and  for  these  things  I  am  brought  into 
these  straits.  For  these  things  I  have  seen  my  family 
scattered,  my  office  broken  up,  my  furniture — as  I  was 
moving  it  to  this  place — destroyed — have  been  loaded 
with  execrations,  had  all  manner  of  evil  spoken  of  me 
falsely,  and  finally  had  my  life  threatened,  and  laid  down 
16* 


186  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

at  night,  weary  and  sick,  with  the  expectation  that  1 
might  be  aroused  by.  the  stealthy  step  of  the  assassin. 
This  was  the  case  the  last  night  I  spent  at  St.  Louis. 
Yet  none  of  these  things  move  me  from  my  purpose  ;  by 
the  grace  of  God  I  will  not,  I  will  not  forsake  my  princi- 
ples ;  and  I  will  maintain,  and  propagate  them  with  all 
the  means  He  puts  into  my  hands.  The  cry  of  the  op- 
pressed has  entered  not  only  into  my  ears,  but  into  my 
soul,  so  that  while  I  live  I  cannot  hold  my  peace. 

Meanwhile,  I  must  confess,  that  present  prospects 
look  somewhat  dark.  In  the  midst  of  so  many  enemies 
I  have,  it  is  true,  a  good  many  friends.  But  the  evil  is 
that  Christians  in  this  quarter,  even  the  best  of  them, 
have  become  a  good  deal  worldly  minded,  and  are 
greatly  engaged  in  speculation  ;  so  that  the  work  of  the 
Lord  is  left  to  languish.  Insomuch  that  I  find  it  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  obtain  that  aid  and  assistance  needed 
in  my  very  arduous  enterprise.  Had  I  means  at  my 
own  command  I  would  not  care.  I  should  deem  them 
well  spent  even  though  destroyed  by  a  mob,  in  main- 
taining the  cause  I  have  espoused.  But  as  I  have  them 
not,  such  as  I  have  I  give  freely — my  time,  my  ener- 
gies, the  best  years  of  my  life,  some  little  ability,  and  a 
good  deal  of  zeal — these  I  give,  and  bless  God  for  the 
opportunity,  to  so  holy  a  cause.  I  may  not  live  to  see 
its  success — I  may  even  die — though  most  unworthy — 
its  victim  and  its  martyr,  yet,  that  it  will  ultimately  suc- 
ceed, and  that  too  at  no  distant  day,  I  am  as  well  assured 
as  I  am  that  there  is  a  God  in  Heaven,  who  sits  on  a 
Throne  of  Righteousness. 

Providence  permitting,  we  shall  get  out  a  number  of 
the  "  Observer"  next  week.  It  will  be  much  enlarged, 
in  hopes  by  that  means  to  induce  more  to  subscribe. 
Tell  brother  Joseph  I  wish  he  and  his  brother  ministers 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  187 

in  Maine  would  try  and  do  something  for  me.  I  think  I 
ought  to  get  considerable  aid  from  my  native  state.  Mr. 
Adams  of  Brunswick,  told  me  at  the  General  Assembly, 
that  he  thought  that  I  was  doing  more  to  put  down 
Slavery  than  any  other  man  in  the  United  States.  Now 
if  half  that  be  true,  surely  my  paper  ought  to  be  sup- 
ported. 

But  I  shall  weary  you  with  the  reading,  as  I  am  my- 
self exhausted  with  the  effort  of  writing  this  long  letter. 
Give  my  love  to  sisters  S.  and  E.  Why  do  they  not 
write  to  me  1  Surely,  surely,  they  cannot  wait  for  a 
letter  from  me,  when  I  have  hardly  time,  and  ability 
even  to  read  my  Bible.  From  Owen  I  have  not  heard 
for  a  long  time.  I  expect  him  and  sister  E.  out  here 
this  fall.  Are  they  not  coming  ?  I  wish  they  would 
come.  Wife  wants  Lizzy  very  much,  and  I  want  Owen. 
John  enjoys  excellent  health  and  spirits,  and  is  im- 
proving very  much.  Love  to  brother  Joseph,  and  to  all. 
Do  write  me  soon. 

Your  most  affectionate  son, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

After  the  re-establishment  of  the  Observer  at  Alton, 
it  continued  to  be  issued  regularly  till  the  17th  of  Au- 
gust, 1837,  soon  after  which  it  again  became  the  object 
of  mob  violence.  The  character  of  the  paper,  as  it  re- 
gards the  ability  and  spirit  with  which  it  was  conducted, 
may  be  learned  from  the  subjoined  editorial  articles,  that 
appeared  in  it  during  this  time. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place,  here  to  state,  that  the  num- 
ber of  subscribers  to  the  "  Observer"  continued  to  in- 
crease from  its  arrival  at  Alton,  till  it  rose  from  less  than 
one  to  more  than  two  thousand ;  and  would  doubtless, 
within  the  year,  have  reached  twenty-five  hundred. 


188  MEMOIR  OF  THE 


THE  BUBBLE  BURST. 

Alton,  May  25th,  1837. 

"  FOR  the  last  three  or  four  years  the  people  of  this 
nation  have  been  pursuing  after  wealth,  as  their  chief 
good,  with  an  eagerness  unknown  before  in  our  his- 
tory. Wealth  has  been  the  god  after  which  this  nation, 
in  the  language  of  Scripture,  has  gone  a  whoring.  And 
never  was  idol  more  devoutly  worshipped.  It  has  been 
the  supreme  object  which  has  occupied  our  waking 
thoughts,  and  our  dreaming  hours.  Our  '  visions  by 
night'  have  been  of  rail-roads,  canals,  bank  stock,  sec- 
tions and  quarter  sections  of  land,  and  town  lots.  Specu- 
lation had  become  a  perfect  mania,  and  we  had  become 
a  nation  of  gamblers.  Even  the  steadiest  minds  and  the 
firmest  judgments,  were  carried  away  by  the  rush.  We 
know  of  nothing  like  it,  except  the  South  sea  and  Mis- 
sissippi schemes  of  England  and  France.  The  former 
was  called  the  '  South  Sea  Bubble,'  and  we  think  that  an 
appropriate  name  for  ours  would  be  the  '  Town  Lot  Bub- 
ble.' But  the  bubble  has  burst — and  all  our  hopes  of 
.universal  wealth  are  dissipated  into  thin  air.  We  find 
ourselves  a  nation  of  bankrupts  instead  of  a  nation  of 
Croesuses.  And  better  it  should  be  the  former  than  the 
latter. 

We  say  better,  not  because  we  rejoice  over  the  wide- 
spread desolation  and  ruin  that  have  overtaken  our  citi- 
zens, God  forbid  that  we  should  do  that,  but  because  we 
do  sincerely  believe  that  this  nation  cannot  be  trusted 
with  riches.  In  the  present  difficulties  that  have  come 
upon  us,  we  think  we  see  the  interposition  of  a  kind 
Providence  in  our  behalf ;  and  if  the  blow  has  been  un- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  189 

expected  and  most  severe,  may  it  not  have  been  needed, 
in  order  that  we  should  not,  in  the  season  of  returning 
prosperity,  forget  our  chastisement  ?  The  evil  effects  of 
this  seemingly  boundless  prosperity,  which  for  the  last 
three  or  four  years  has  attended  us,  uninterrupted,  are 
many  and  various.  We  can  only  enumerate  two  or  three 
of  the  most  obvious,  and  those  which  alarmed  all  sober 
observers  of  the  times. 

1.  The  moral  sense  of  the  nation  has  become  awfully 
blunted  and  obtuse.  The  love  of  money  is  an  earth-born, 
grovelling  propensity,  and  it  debases  proverbially  all 
whom  it  influences,  in  the  precise  proportion  as  they  are 
under  its  sway.  How  completely  callous  to  all  the  dic- 
tates of  conscience  and  humanity,  and  how  shamelessly 
sordid  it  has  rendered  this  nation,  let  the  history  of  the 
last  two  years  testify.  What  have  we  seen  ?  That  which 
unless  our  eyes  beheld,  we  could  not  have  believed. 
We  have  seen  the  traffic  in  human  beings  pursued  by 
one  portion  of  our  fellow-citizens  with  an  unfeeling  and 
gloatingly  avaricious  eagerness,  which  would  have  made 
the  early  Spanish  men-hunters  of  Cuba  blush.  Hus- 
bands and  wives,  and  parents  and  children  have  been 
torn  asunder  with  an  utter  recklessness  of  feeling,  that 
equals,  to  say  the  least,  any  thing  of  cruelty  that  the  an- 
nals of  savagedom  can  furnish,  and  all  to  make  these 
victims  toil  and  sweat  unthanked  and  unrewarded,  in  or- 
der to  enrich  their  plunderers.  But  worse  than  this,  ten- 
fold worse,  and  a  thousand  fold  more  alarming,  we  have 
seen  Christians,  not  only  engaging  heart  and  soul  in  this 
horrid  business,  but  Christian  ministers  also,  nay,  rev- 
erend divines,  doctors  of  divinity,  whole  Presbyteries, 
Synods,  and  Conferences,  solemnl)'  and  officially  justi- 
fying it,  appealing  to  the  Bible — to  the  gospel  of  a  com- 
passionate Redeemer — to  prove  it  all  right,  and  that  it  had 


190  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

the  sanction  of  Heaven.  Shall  a  man  believe  this,  even 
though  it  be  told  him  ?  Posterity  will  not  credit  it,  and 
yet  it  is  nevertheless  the  truth,  the  sad  reality.  And 
scarcely  less,  if  indeed  not  greater,  has  been  the  guilt, 
the  criminal  indifference,  and  often  actual  approval,  with 
which  these  transactions  have  been  witnessed  in  the  free 
states.  Men  were  either  too  busy  in  making  money 
themselves,  or  too  desirous  to  get  a  share  of  that  earned 
by  the  forced  labour  of  the  poor  slave,  to  hear  his  groans. 
His  tears,  mingled  with  his  blood  drawn  by  the  whip  of 
the  merciless  taskmaster,  fell  unheeded  to  the  ground  ; 
and  what  cared  they  if  the  soil  he  tilled  were  thus  en- 
riched, so  that  they  were  permitted  to  share  in  the  profits 
of  the  crop  ?  Nothing — absolutely  nothing.  Nay,  they 
not  only  refused  to  express  disapprobation  themselves, 
but  whoever  did  it,  incurred  their  hot  displeasure.  And 
when  the  law  could  not  punish  those  who  dared  to  feel 
for  the  coloured  man,  the  power  of  the  mob  was  resorted 
to.  Elders  of  the  church  in  Nashville  scourged  a  brother 
for  this  crime,  '  gentlemen  of  property  and  standing'  in 
Boston,  broke  into  an  assemblage  of  females,  and  drove 
them  from  their  knees  because  they  were  praying  for  the 
slave,  Christian  editors  in  New  York,  set  on  the  mob  to 
pull  down,  break  up,  and  destroy  the  property  and  mal- 
treat the  persons  of  their  fellow-citizens,  who  had  made 
themselves  obnoxious  by  their  efforts  in  behalf  of  bleed- 
ing humanity.  These  things  are  but  specimens  of  what 
has  been  done  in  this  Christian  land  for  the  last  two  or  three 
years,  and  all  to  be  traced  to  the  auri  sacra  fames — the  ac- 
cursed love  of  gold,  which  has  grown  by  what  it  fed  on. 
It  could  not  be  expected  that  such  things  could  long 
endure  ;  that  the  Lord  would  keep  silence  forever.  He 
has  spoken.  He  has  corne,  in  his  Providence,  and  taken 
from  us  that  for  which  we  had  sacrified  principle,  hu- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  191 

manity,  duty,  and  now  we  find  that  we  have  '  filed  our 
consciences'  for  nothing,  and  that  our  only  reward  is, 
what  it  deserved  to  be — REMORSE. 

2.  Another  result  of  our  worldly  prosperity  has  been 
an  alarming  increase  of  luxury,  licentiousness,  and  im- 
morality of  every  kind.     In  our  eagerness  to  grasp  the 
bubble  wealth,  we  have  over-leaped  all  the  restraints  of 
religion  and  morality,  and  in  our  determination  to  enjoy 
its  pleasures,  we  have   disregarded  the  precepts  of  the 
gospel.    The  Sabbath,  that  blessed  institution  of  heaven, 
given  us  purposely  to  be  a  barrier  against  the  tide  of  cor- 
ruption, flowing  up»from  the  bottomless  pit,  has  been  run 
over  by  our  rail-road  cars,  and  mail-stages,  and  steam- 
boats, until  it  is  pretty  much  entirely  levelled  in  the  dust, 
and  the  waves  of  vice  and  sin  are  accordingly  sweeping 
over  us  with  awful  and  almost  resistless  force,  threaten- 
ing to  bear  away,  and  indeed,  in  general  having  already 
done  it,  whatsoever  thing  is  lovely  and  of  good  report 
among  us.     No  hand  but  God's  can  roll  back  these  bitter 
waters  of  perdition  ;  and  whether  he  will  do  it  must  de- 
pend upon  the  disposition  he  finds  amongst  us,   to  treat 
his  hitherto  despised  ordinances  with  respect  and  rever- 
ence.    '  Thou  shalt  reverence  my  Sabbaths.' 

3.  The  only  other  evil  to  which  we  will  now  advert,  is 
the  disastrous  influence  that  has  been  exerted  upon  the 
church.     This  has   been  in  part  adverted  to,  in  the  pre- 
vious remarks.     But  it  deserves  a  distinct  mention  by 
itself.     It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  church  in  this  coun- 
try, has  to  an  alarming  degree,  been  carried  away  by  the 
influences  that  have  been  at  work  all   around  them.     It 
is  too  true  that  many  have  left  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and 
have  gone  to  work  to  get  riches  for  themselves.     Even 
ministers,  in  many  instances,  have  forsaken  the  pulpit  to 
enter  lands,  build  rail-roads,  erect  steam-mills,   make 


192  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

towns,  &c.  The  less  conscientious  and  pious  Christians 
have  done  this  openly,  and  without  attempt  at  palliation, 
while  the  better  sort  have  done  it,  under  the  specious 
pretext,  with  which  they  doubtless  deceived  themselves, 
that  it  was  right  to  give  one's  self  wholly  up  to  the  busi- 
ness of  making  money,  provided  we  make  it  for  the 
Lord.  So  that  either  one  way  or  the  other,  pretty  near- 
ly the  whole  have  yielded  to  the  temptation. 

So  far  as  we  know  there  is  no  ground  for  mutual  re- 
criminations among  Christians,  touching  this  thing ;  but 
there  is  ground  for  repentance  and  mutual  confession  of 
sin.  We  are  all  verily  guilty  in  this  matter. 

The  experience  of  the  last  two  years  has  taught  us, 
that  the  church  is  not  yet  sufficiently  sanctified,  to  bear 
uninterrupted  prosperity.  A  year  or  two  more  would 
have  ruined  us  all.  The  present  visitation  of  Providence, 
therefore,  though  a  sharp,  was  yet  a  necessary  remedy. 
It  is  the  chastisement  of  a  kind  Father,  who  knows  us  a 
thousand  times  better  than  we  know  ourselves.  If  we 
humble  ourselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  he 
will  have  mercy  ;  if  we  seek  him  in  prayer  and  repent- 
ance, he  will  remove  from  our  sky  the  clouds  of  his  wrath, 
and  again  lift  upon  us  '  the  light  of  his  reconciled  coun- 
tenance.' And  may  we  all  as  Christians,  and  as  citizens, 
remember  that  '  righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin 
is  a  reproach  to  any  people.'  " 

TO  THE  REV.  ASA  CUMMINGS, 

OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MIRROR. 

Alton,  February  9th,  1837. 
DEAR  BROTHER, 

I  choose  this  personal  mode  of  addressing  you, 
because,  while  a  sense  of  duty  will  impel  me  to  speak 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  193 

with  Christian  frankness,  I  wish  scrupulously  to  avoid 
all  occasion  of  offence  ;  and  this  has  seemed  to  me  the 
best  method  of  effecting  both.  You  will,  I  am  sure, 
agree  with  me  that  the  subject  about  which  we  differ  is 
one  of  incalculable  importance.  Two  millions  and  a  half 
of  our  fellow-creatures  are  groaning  in  bondage,  crushed 
to  the  earth,  deprived  of  rights  which  their  Maker  gave 
them,  and  which  are  in  themselves  inalienable  by  any 
conceiveable  process  except  that  of  crime. 

However  men  may  theorize,  and  whatever  men  may 
wish,  it  is  evident  that  this  is  a  question  of  tremendous 
practical  importance  ;  and  in  the  aspect  which  it  presents 
to  the  Christian  especially,  he  cannot  fail  to  see  enough 
to  make  him  feel  that  here,  at  least,  is  no  place  for  the 
indulgence  of  the  pride  of  opinion  or  fondness  for  a  be- 
loved theory.  Men  may  quibble  about  mere  abstractions, 
and  resort  to  all  the  arts  of  metaphysical  attack  and  de- 
fence, in  order  to  maintain  a  favourite  position  ;  but  to  do 
so  when  discussing  a  question  like  that  of  American 
Slavery,  is  little  less  than  impious,  and,  in  my  opinion, 
argues  a  sad  want  of  moral  sensibility.  The  man  who 
can  deliberately  do  this,  would  find  no  difficulty  in  imi- 
tating Nero,  who  fiddled  while  Rome  was  burning.  I 
have  made  these  remarks,  before  proceeding  to  the  more 
immediate  subject  of  this  communication,  because  a  se- 
rious, candid,  and  honest  state  of  mind,  when  we  write 
or  read  on  the  subject  of  Slavery,  cannot  be  too  highly 
valued,  nor  too  earnestly  prayed  for. 

I  come  now  to  the  question  of  "  curtailing  sermons." 
And  how  stands  this  matter  1  I  suppose  you  will  admit 
that  no  minister  could,  at  the  present  time,  in  any  of  the 
slave  states,  preach  what  is  called  an  "  anti-slavery  ser- 
mon," without  being  driven  from  his  pulpit.  Dr.  Nel- 
son attempted  it  in  Missouri,  and  in  consequence,  had  to 
17 


194  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

flee  for  his  life  from  the  state,  some  leading  church  mem- 
bers being  foremost  in  the  persecution.  I  have  lived 
about  eight  years  in  a  slave  state,  and,  except  in  one  or 
two  instances,  I  do  not  recollect  ever  to  have  heard  slave- 
holders, whether  in  or  out  of  the  church,  reproved  for 
neglecting  or  abusing  their  slaves,  although,  at  the  same 
time,  I  have  seen  the  slave  sitting  out  on  the  carriage 
box,  through  all  the  service,  while  their  masters  and 
mistresses,  whom  they  drove  to  church,  were  worship- 
ping with  great  devoutness  within.  I  have  known  church 
members  sell  all  their  slaves,  at  one  time,  into  distant 
captivity,  where  they  were  to  go  beyond  the  reach  of 
Christian  instruction,  yet  never  did  I  hear  the  pastor  re- 
buke the  deed.  To  preach  against  intemperance  and  Sab- 
bath breaking,  against  covetousness  and  murder,  and  yet 
to  pass  over  Slavery  in  silence,  is,  however  you  may 
regard  it,  in  my  opinion,  "  shunning  to  declare  the  whole 
counsel  of  God."  I  will  give  you  a  case  in  point. 

Less  than  a  year  since,  I  heard  in  a  city  of  a  slave- 
holding  state,  the  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian  church  preach 
*rom  the  text,  "  It  is  the  price  of  blood."  The  speaker 
iirst  adduced  several  reasons  for  the  command  that  man 
should  not  kill  his  fellow-man,  such  as  that  he  had  no 
right  to  take  away  what  he  could  not  restore,  that  it  was 
insulting  God  to  deface  his  image,  &c.  After  briefly 
laying  down  these  propositions,  the  main  part  of  the  dis- 
course was  occupied  in  showing  what  was  and  must  be 
the  moral  character  of  those  occupations,  which  were  ne- 
cessarily pursued  at  the  expense  of  human  life.  The 
property  acquired  in  this  way,  he  told  us,  should  legiti- 
mately be  called  "  the  price  of  blood."  He  dwelt  upon 
this  point  with  a  variety  and  force  of  illustration  and  re- 
mark, that  was  painfully  interesting,  because  painfully 
true.  He  spoke  of  the  young  men  that  were  destroyed 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  195 

in  the  prime  of  life,  of  the  families  that  were  beggared, 
and  the  souls  that  were  ruined,  by  the  distillery  and  the 
dram  shop ;  and  he  told  those  who  made  their  property 
by  this  means,  that  the  houses  they  dwelt  in,  and  the 
fashionable  dresses  in  which  their  wives  and  daughters 
appeared  in  the  house  of  God,  were  "  THE  PRICE  OF 
BLOOD  !"  At  this  point  of  the  discourse,  a  deep  and 
thrilling  interest  pervaded  the  audience — men  held  their 
breath  in  expectation  of  what  was  coming — and  it  was 
evident  what  subject  was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  all ; 
but  the  speaker  closed  by  saying  that  other  practices  and 
other  trafficks  might  be  mentioned,  whose  gains  were  the 
price  of  blood,  but  he  should  forbear,  as  he  did  not  think 
it  proper  or  prudent  (I  forget  which  was  the  word) 
to  mention  them.  Now  there  was  not,  I  presume,  a  sin 
gle  individual  among  his  audience,  that  did  not  undej 
stand  the  preacher  as  referring  to  Slavery, — to  the  buy- 
ing and  selling  human  beings  for  the  sake  of  gain.  It 
was  a  topic  of  general  conversation  at  the  time,  and  some 
of  the  leading  members  of  the  church,  were,  as  I  learned, 
a  good  deal  offended  at  even  this  distant  allusion,  by  way 
of  condemnation,  to  the  source  of  their  unholy  gains. 

Now  the  preacher  might  have  acted  wisely,  or  he 
might  not,  in  thus  forbearing  to  speak  of  the  sin  of  Sla- 
very. It  is  a  question  about  which  there  will  probably 
be  a  difference  among  good  men  ;  but  in  either  alterna- 
tive, my  case  is  made  good,  that  a  minister  cannot  preach 
the  whole  truth  to  a  slaveholding  church  and  congrega- 
tion. To  dwell  eloquently  upon  the  sin  of  amassing 
money,  by  making  and  selling  whisky  and  rum,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  to  pass  over  in  silence  the  practice  of 
amassing  it  by  enslaving  and  selling  human  beings,  when 
preaching  to  a  congregation  guilty  of  both,  looks  to  me 
very  much,  comparatively  speaking,  like  enforcing  the 


196  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

"  tithes  of  mint  and  cummin,"  while  the  "  weightier  mat- 
ters of  the  law"  are  forgotten.  I  have  said  that  there 
will  doubtless  be  a  difference  of  opinion,  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  the  course  pursued  on  this  occasion  ;  yet  one 
thing  is  doubtless  certain,  had  the  preacher  done  other- 
wise, had  he  ventured  to  denounce  Slavery  as  he  had  de- 
nounced intemperance,  he  never  would  have  gone  into 
that  pulpit  again.  His  church  would  not  have  endured 
such  doctrine,  and  many  of  its  leading  members  would 
have  been  among  the  first  and  the  loudest  to  cry,  "  Cru- 
cify him,  crucify  him." 

Yet  I  could  not  but  feel  at  the  time,  that  were  I  stand- 
ing in  his  place,  I  should  have  done  it,  at  whatever  risk 
As  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  7  should  not  have  dared  to 
do  otherwise.  Nay,  I  felt  that  I  would  willingly  have 
given  one  year  of  my  life,  to  have  stood  on  the  vantage 
ground  which  the  speaker  then  occupied,  to  have  had  the 
ear  of  that  audience  as  he  had,  and  then  to  have  poured 
upon  their  startled  consciences,  the  denunciations  of  God 
upon  those  who  "  oppress  the  poor  and  the  needy,  and 
the  stranger  within  their  gates."  I  would  have  done  it, 
though,  in  so  doing,  I  had  expended  my  last  breath. 

This  letter  has  already  extended  much  farther  than  I 
at  first  intended,  yet  I  cannot  persuade  myself  to  close  it 
without  a  few  additional  remarks.  It  has  been,  and  still 
is,  to  me  a  source  of  great  grief,  to  witness  the  course 
which  you,  brother  Cummings,  together  with  the  editors 
of  the  Vermont  Chronicle,  the  Boston  Recorder,  and  the 
New  York  Observer,  have  pursued  on  the  subject  of 
Slavery.  These  are  all  brethren  whom  (though  I  have  not 
the  happiness  to  know  them  personally)  I  highly  respect. 
Separately,  and  together,  you  wield  an  incalculable  moral 
influence,  and  I  need  not  say  that  your  responsibilities  are 
correspondingly  great.  These  brethren,  will,  I  am  sure. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  197 

pardon  me,  if  I  speak  seriously,  and  in  earnest,  on  this 
subject,  for  I  speak  in  behalf  of  more  than  two  millions 
of  my  fellow-beings,  who  are  not  permitted  to  open 
their  mouths  to  plead  their  own  cause.  And  I  therefore 
tell  you  plainly,  that  you  seem  to  me  not  at  all  to  have 
understood  your  responsibilities,  in  relation  to  the  subject 
of  Slavery,  or  else  to  have  trifled  with  them  in  a  manner 
truly  awful.  I  have  seen  the  Mirror  once  and  again,  give 
the  subject  the  go-by,  with  a  dry  joke  or  a  half-concealed 
sarcasm,  which  none  understand  how  to  use  better  than 
he ;  I  have  seen  the  Recorder  and  the  Chronicle,  with 
column  after  column  of  their  pages  occupied  by  their 
acute  and  logical-minded  editors,  in  reasoning  coldly 
about  sin  and  Slavery  in  the  abstract,  when  the  living  and 
awful  reality  was  before  them  and  around  them,  dis- 
puting about  words  and  terms,  and  the  precise  amount 
of  guilt,  even  to  the  twentieth  part  of  a  scruple,  to  be  at- 
tached to  this  or  that  slaveholder,  as  coolly,  and  with  as 
much  indifference,  as  if  no  manacled  slave  stood  before 
them,  with  uplifted  hands  and  streaming  eyes,  beseech- 
ing them  to  knock  off  their  galling,  soul-corroding  chains. 
I  have  seen  the  New  York  Observer  publish,  week  after 
week,  and  send  it  to  its  hundred  thousand  readers,  the 
most  partial  and  injurious  representations  of  the  charac- 
ters and  motives  of  those  engaged  in  freeing  the  slave 
from  bondage,  while  its  columns  have  been  hermetically 
sealed  to  all  reply  or  confutation.  And,  as  I  have  seen 
these  things,  I  have  asked  myself,  how  long,  oh  !  how 
long,  shall  these  beloved,  but  mistaken  brethren,  continue 
to  abuse  their  influence,  pervert  the  truth,  and  retard  the 
salvation  of  the  slave  ? 

Dear  brother,  lay  aside  your  metaphysical  spectacles, 
give  up  your  undue  attachment  to  well-worded  theories,, 
and  look  at  the  naked  facts.    If  the  wisdom  of  the  schoofe 
17 


198  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

cannot  teach  you  the  true  character  of  Slavery,  come 
with  me,  and  let  us  interrogate  yonder  illiterate,  untaught 
slave.  He  is  just  returning,  faint  and  weary,  from  the 
toils  of  the  day.  He  is  an  aged  man,  and  has  had  for 
many  years,  a  practical  acquaintance  with  Slavery.  Let 
us  hear  his  reply  to  the  question,  "  What  is  Slavery  ?" 
"  It  is  to  have  my  back  subjected  to  the  cowhide  or  the 
cart  whip,  at  the  will  or  caprice  of  my  master,  or  any  of 
his  family.  Every  child  has  a  right  to  curse,  or  kick,  or 
cuff  the  old  man.  It  is  to  toil  all  day  beneath  an  almost 
vertical  sun,  with  the  bitter  certainty  always  before  me, 
that  not  one  cent  of  what  I  earn,  is,  or  can  be  my  own. 
It  is  to  depart  from  my  hut  every  morning,  with  the  sick- 
ening fear,  that  before  I  return  at  night,  it  will  be  visited 
by  the  slave-driving  fiend.  It  is  to  return  at  night,  and 
find  my  worst  fears  realized.  My  first-born  son,  denied 
even  the  poor  privilege  of  bidding  his  father  farewell,  is 
on  his  way,  a  chained  and  manacled  victim,  to  a  distant 
market,  there  to  be  disposed  of  in  shambles,  where  human 
flesh  and  sinews  are  bought  and  sold.  It  is  to  enter  my 
cabin,  and  see  my  wife  or  daughter  struggling  in  the  lust- 
ful embraces  of  my  master,  or  some  of  his  white  friends, 
without  daring  to  attempt  their  rescue  ;  for  should  I  open 
my  lips  to  remonstrate,  a  hundred  lashes  would  be  the 
consequence  ;  and  should  I  raise  my  hand  to  smite  the 
brutal  wretch,  nothing  but  death  could  atone  for  the  sacri- 
lege. But  above  all,  to  be  a  slave,  is  to  be  denied  the  privi- 
lege of  reading  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God,  to  have  no 
control  over  my  own  children,  and,  consequently  to  be  de- 
prived of  the  power  and  means  of  educating  them  in  the 
principles  of  morality  and  religion.  In  one  word,  it  is  to 
be  degraded  from  a  man  to  a  brute — to  become,  instead 
of  a  free  moral  agent,  a  THING,  a  piece  of  property,  and 
to  be  used  as  such — to  be  deprived  of  all  personal  and  all 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  199 

civil  rights — to  be  shut  out  from  all  enjoyment  in  this 
world,  and  all  hope  in  the  next." 

Such,  brother  Cummings,  is  Slavery,  not  that  Slavery 
such  as  you  may  imagine  or  hope  might  exist,  but  Slavery 
as  it  actually  now  exists  in  eleven  of  these  United 
States,  nay,  such  as  it  exists  IN  THE  CHURCH.  And  now, 
if  you,  and  the  brethren  referred  to,  and  others  whom  I 
might  name,  with  these  facts  before  you,  resting  not  on 
my  testimony  only,  but  on  that  of  hundreds  of  others,  can 
deliberately  make  up  your  minds  to  continue  to  act  the 
same  parts  which  hitherto  you  have  done,  in  relation  to 
the  present  efforts  to  emancipate  the  slaves,  why  so  be  it. 
I  cannot  help  it.  Yet  "  my  soul  shall  weep  in  secret 
places"  over  such  an  abuse  of  influence,  such  a  perversion 
of  talent,  such  a  desertion  from  the  cause  of  bleeding  hu- 
manity, by  those  who  ought  to  be  foremost  and  most 
zealous  in  its  defence.  You  can  do,  and  you  are  doing, 
much  to  retard  those  efforts.  But,  in  so  doing,  I  declare 
to  you  my  deliberate  conviction,  as  I  shall  answer  it  at 
His  bar,  that  you  are  righting  against  GOD.  The  work  I 
believe  is  his.  He  has  owned  it,  he  has  set  upon  it  the 
seal  of  his  approbation,  by  raising  up  for  it  helpers  when 
and  where  least  expected.  All  good  men,  except,  alas  !  a 
portion  of  the  church  in  this  country,  are  with  it ;  the 
spirit  of  the  age  is  with  it ;  the  precepts  of  the  gospel 
are  all  on  its  side,  and  he  were  an  infidel  to  doubt  of  its 
success.  It  will  succeed,  it  will  triumph,  and  that  much 
sooner,  I  think,  than  even  its  friends,  generally  anticipate. 
You  and  I  may  yet  live  to  have  our  ears  gladdened  and 
our  hearts  thrilled  by  the  notes  of  that  jubilee  which  shall 
sound  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Sabine,  from  the  Ohio  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  proclaiming  "  liberty  to  the  captives, 
and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound." 
Oh,  who  would  forego  the  privilege  of  feeling  that  he  had 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  , 

a  right  to  join  in  that  jubilee  ? — that  it  had  been  hastened 
in  part  by  his  exertions  1 

With  much  Christian  affection,  I  remain, 
Your  brother  in  the  Lord, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

"THE  Abolitionists  are  beginning  every  where  to 
throw  off  the  mask,  and  boldly  to  advocate  amalgama- 
tion ;  that  is,  the  intermarriage  of  whites  and  blacks  ! — 
the  union  of  persons  that  God  by  colour,  has  put  asun- 
der, as  much  as  he  has  separated  midnight  from  noon- 
day !" — Baptist  Banner. 

"  Now,  brother  of  the  Banner,  stop  a  moment,  and  do 
not  go  off  at  half  charge,  as  you  are  somewhat  apt  to  do. 
Let  us  reason  together  a  moment — only  for  a  moment. 

In  the  first  place,  we  ask  you  for  the  proof  of  the 
above  statement.  We  deny  its  truth.  We  read  most  of 
the  Abolition  publications  in  the  land,  and  we  have  never 
seen  any  such  position  taken  by  any  one  of  them.  Bring 
forward  your  proof,  therefore,  or  acknowledge  yourself 
mistaken,  and  that  you  have  borne  false  witness  against 
your  neighbour. 

But  secondly,  if  God  has  put  the  black  and  white 
races  so  far  asunder,  how  happens  it  that  they  come 
together  so  readily  in  the  state  where  you  live  ?  Is  not 
the  Vice  President  of  these  United  States,  and  one  of 
your  own  citizens,  an  '  amalgamator,'  as  you  phrase  it  ? 
Are  not  his  '  amalgamated'  daughters  among  you,  re- 
spectably married  to  men  of  pure  Saxon  blood — the  sons 
of  chivalrous  Kentucky  ? 

Moreover,  go  out  into  the  streets  of  Louisville,  the  city 
of  your  residence,  and  where  there  are  no  Abolitionists, 
and  tell  me  how  many  individuals  among  all  the  coloured 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  201 

population  that  throng  your  streets,  you  can  find  whose 
faces  shine  with  the  pure  gloss  of  an  African  complex- 
ion. Such  persons  are  about  as  scarce  in  St.  Louis  as 
black  swans  are  on  the  Mississippi,  and  we  suspect  the 
case  is  pretty  similar  in  Louisville. 

Now  if  this  amalgamation  must  go  on —  certainly  the 
taste  of  those  individuals  who  practically  favour  it,  is 
widely  different  from  ours,  but  you  know  the  old  proverb, 
brother,  De  gustibus,  &c. — if,  then,  it  must  go  on,  had  it 
not  better  be  so  regulated  as  that  it  shall,  in  future,  be  in 
accordance  with  the  Divine  as  well  as  human  law, 
rather  than,  as  now,  in  contravention  to  both  ? 

If,  for  instance,  an  individual  in  Kentucky,  like  your 
illustrious  citizen,  the  Vice  President,  should  prefer  the 
daughters  of  Ham  rather  than  the  daughters  of  Japhet, 
from  whom  to  choose  a  wife,  why  should  we  who  pre- 
fer the  latter  be  restricted  to  one,  while  he  is  allowed  a 
dozen,  and  indeed  a  whole  harem  if  he  please  ?  And 
why,  when  we  are  bound  to  love,  cherish,  and  maintain 
our  wives  till  death,  should  he  be  allowed  the  privilege 
of  making  '  merchandise'  of  his  and  their  children  too, 
just  as  caprice  or  avarice  may  dictate  ? 

Will  the  '  Banner'  answer  these  questions  satisfacto- 
rily, if  he  can,  to  his  own  conscience  ;  and  if  he  cannot, 
'  be  ashamed  and  confounded,  and  never  open  his  mouth 
more'  about  the  '  amalgamation'  of  Abolitionists  ?" 

"  WE  have  great  respect  for  the  acumen  of  brother 
Tracy,  of  the  '  Boston  Recorder,'  but  we  do  wish  for  his 
own  sake,  as  well  as  truth's,  that  he  were  somewhat  less 
given  to  the  habit  of  deciding  great  questions  of  practical 
duty  on  metaphysical  principles  so  subtle,  that  common 
folks  need  a  magnifying  glass  to  discover  them.  Brother 
T.  has  quoted  Hudibras  upon  Mr.  Phelps ;  will  he  ex- 


202  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

cuse  us  if  we  also  remind  him  that  that  same  impartial 
and  pious  describer  of  the  good  men  of  his  age,  tells  us 
of  one 


'  who  could  divide 


A  hair  'twixt  north  and  north  west  side.' 

And  we  may  well  suppose  that  after  this  was  done,  he 
could  dispute  in  learned  strain,  as  to  which  octagon  sec- 
tion of  the  divided  hair  was  the  largest. 

Does  not  a  single  glance  serve  to  convince  Mr.  T. 
that  the  case  he  has  supposed  of  the  '  relation'  com- 
mencing when  the  man  is  asleep  is  no  case  at  all.  For 
until  the  man  awakes  he  can  sustain  no  moral  relation  to 
any  thing  or  any  body,  any  more  than  the  bedstead  on 
which  he  lies.  Go  to  him  brother  Tracy,  and  take  Mr. 
Phelps  along  with  you,  wake  the  man  up,  tell  him  that 
his  father  has  just  left  him  a  legacy  of  fifty  human  be- 
ings, and  ask  him  what  he  intends  to  do  in  the  case  ;  if 
he  say,  '  I  intend  to  hold  them  as  my  property'  then  Mr. 
Phelps  will  reply  '  in  so  doing  you  sin  against  God  ;'  and 
if  we  were  there,  most  promptly  would  we  add  our  own 
testimony  to  the  same  effect." 


CHRISTIAN  MIRROR. 

"  WE  do  not  exactly  understand  what  brother  Cum- 
mings  means  in  his  paper  of  the  10th  ult.  when  he  talks 
about  our  compelling  him  to  '  plume  his  wings,'  and  take 
his  flight  from  this  '  mundane  sphere.'  Be  assured, 
brother,  we  have  no  wish  to  drive  you  out  of  the  world, 
even  if  we  had  the  ability.  You  have  a  work  of  re- 
pentance to  perform,  as  it  regards  your  course  towards 
your  coloured  brethren ;  and  we  love  you  too  well  to 
wish  you  to  meet  them  at  the  bar  of  Him  who  is  '  no 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  203 

respecter  of  persons,'  until  that  work  is  performed.  And 
then  we  want  you  to  live  long  enough  after  that  to  evince 
your  sincerity  by  '  bringing  forth  fruits  meet  for  repent- 
ance ;'  and  then  we  should  be  sorry  to  have  you  depart 
until  you  had  witnessed  the  blessedness  of  immediate 
emancipation,  and  how  groundless  were  all  your  fears 
respecting  it.  So  that  on  the  whole  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  why  you  may  not,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned, 
indulge  the  comfortable  hope  of  attaining  to  your  three 
score  years  and  ten. 

But  now  to  business.  You  say  in  regard  to  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  slaves  are  better  treated  at  the  South 
than  in  the  West,  '  Give  us  authentic  testimony,  and  not 
random  statements.'  We  find  it  very  difficult,  brother 
Cummings,  to  get  any  statements  which  you  will  con- 
sider '  authentic'  if  they  make  against  your  pre-conceived 
notions  on  the  subject.  We  will  make  an  effort,  how- 
ever. But  first  we  must  say  and  repeat,  that  it  is  a  mat- 
ter of  unfeigned  astonishment  to  us,  that  you  should  ask 
for  evidence  on  this  subject.  We  should  not  actually 
have  been  more  surprised,  had  you  seriously  demanded 
of  us,  proof,  that  the  Mississippi  river  was  a  larger  and 
longer  stream  than  the  Santee,  or  Little  Pedee.  The 
ignorance  here  is  almost  great  enough — perhaps  quite — 
to  be  called  absurd. 

Your  disposal  of  the  '  strait-jacket,'  is  by  no  means 
satisfactory,  nor  is  it  candid.  The  phrase  is  surely  pro- 
per enough,  supposing  it  to  be  rightly  applied.  We  cer- 
tainly used  the  term  '  strait-jacket,'  that  is  the  fact, 
but  we  did  not  apply  them  to  an  '  excellent  aged  minis- 
ter,' as  you  said  we  did,  and  so  said  that  which  was  not 
fact.  Acknowledge  your  mistake,  brother  C. 

Mr.  Bailey  has  written  a  '  supplementary  letter,'  it 
seems,  to  explain  away  the  testimony  of  his  Synod,  and 


204  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

you  refer  us  to  that.  I  tell  you,  brother  C.  that  it  is  time 
to  have  done  with  these  tergiversations.  I  call  them 
tergiversations,  and  so  they  are,  and  they  are  a  disgrace  to 
any  body,  much  more  to  a  Christian  minister.  I  have 
read  Mr.  B.'s  'supplementary  letter,'  and  I  tell  him,  and 
I  tell  you,  it  is  worthy  only  of  a  Jesuit.  1  will  spend  no 
time  in  refuting  such  special  pleading,  such  vile  sophis- 
try. Pardon  me  if  I  speak  plainly.  The  next  thing  I 
expect  to  be  called  on  to  prove,  is,  that  negroes  have  not 
woolly  heads  in  South  Carolina.  Mr.  Bailey's  supple- 
mentary letter  has  sunk  him  immeasurably  in  my  esti- 
mation. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that  you  think  Slavery  '  too 
desperate  to  be  much  longer  tolerated  by  heaven  or 
earth.'  I  never  said  there  was  '  not  a  chaste  female  in 
the  church  ;'  I  said  as  a  general  truth  there  was  not,  and 
I  repeat  it." 

THE  RIGHT  REMEDY. 

March  I6tk,  1837. 

"  WE  frequently  hear  from  many  good  brethren  the  re- 
mark, that  whatever  may  be  the  evils  of  Slavery,  the 
way  to  remedy  them,  is  'to  preach  the  gospel.'  In 
opposition  to  efforts  made  by  anti-slavery  societies,  and 
anti-slavery  presses,  they  say,  '  If  the  gospel  will  not 
effect  it  (the  abolition  of  Slavery)  we  despair  of  any  in- 
strumentality whatever.' 

We  would  respectfully  ask  these  brethren,  what  they 
mean  by  such  remarks  as  these  ?  We  agree  with  them 
most  cordially,  that  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  is  the 
remedy  for  Slavery.  But  how  ?  They  certainly  will  not 
say,  that  it  will  prove  this  remedy  as  administered  by 
those,  their  ministerial  brethren,  who  maintain  that  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  205 

Bible  sanctions  Slavery ;  makes  it  right,  and  places  it 
on  the  same  footing  in  its  code  of  morals,  as  the  domes- 
tic relations  of  husband  and  wife,  parent  and  child  ?  Not 
in  such  hands  will  the  gospel  prove  a  remedy  for  the  evils 
of  Slavery. 

But  how  much  more  good  can  it  effect,  when  used  by 
those  who,  notwithstanding  they  admit  the  remedy  to  be 
a  good  one,  uniformly  decline  applying  it,  for  fear  of  irri- 
tating their  patients  ?  How  long  will  it  take  the  gospel 
to  work  u  cure,  if  it  is  never  applied  to  the  diseased  part  ? 
Will  these  brethren  tell  us  ?  They  seem  to  imagine  there 
is  some  magic  power  about  the  preaching  of  the  gospel, 
that  is  to  do  away  with  Slavery,  while  yet  the  authorized 
and  accredited  ministers  of  the  gospel,  never  open  their 
lips  to  declare  that  Slavery  is  condemned  by  it.  If  they 
do  not  mean  this,  we  should  be  glad  to  know  what  it  is 
they  mean,  by  their  constantly  repeating  '  the  gospel  is 
the  remedy,  the  gospel  is  the  remedy  ;'  while  yet  they 
are  as  constantly  condemning  the  conduct  of  those  who 
seek  to  make  it  the  remedy  indeed,  by  proclaiming  it  to 
be,  in  all  its  principles  and  precepts,  opposed  to  Slavery. 

The  Rev.  James  Douglass,  whom  we  have  known,  and 
whom  we  highly  respect  as  a  devoted  servant  of  Christ — 
in  a  communication  to  the  Boston  Recorder,  which  other 
eastern  papers  are  copying,  has  much  of  this  indefinite- 
ness  of  view  about  the  gospel  proving  a  remedy  for 
Slavery.  He  would  have  anti-slavery  men,  instead  of 
persisting  in  their  present  efforts  to  abolish  Slavery,  send 
ministers  to  the  south,  to  '  preach  the  gospel,'  to  both 
masters  and  slaves.  For,  says  he,  '  where  religion 
flourishes,  slaves  are  well  treated.'  Aye,  there's  the 
very  point.  And  this,  then,  is  all  the  gospel  as  preached 
at  the  south,  is  able  or  expected  to  effect — the  good  treat- 
ment of  the  slave.  Now  we  wish  to  aid  in  the  preach- 
18 


206  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

ing  of  no  '  gospel  whose  ultimate  aim,  as  it  respects  the 
slaves,  goes  no  farther  than  this.  The  '  gospel  of  the 
Son  of  God,'  requires  not  the  '  good  treatment  of  the 
black  man  as  a  slave,  but  as  a  MAN,  and  a  moral  and  ac- 
countable being  ;  and  the  very  first  step  in  this  good 
treatment  is  to  SET  HIM  FREE.  Take  an  illustration  of  our 
meaning. 

When  the  apostle  Paul,  went  out  into  the  Gentile 
world  to  '  preach  the  gospel,'  he  found  his  hearers  all 
idolaters.  He  moreover  found  that  in  the  practice  of 
this  idolatry,  the  most  shameful  rites  abounded.  The 
Heathen  of  both  sexes  were  accustomed  to  spend  their 
nights  in  the  temples  of  their  idols,  in  promiscuous,  and 
most  disgusting  licentiousness.  Now  suppose  he  had 
commenced  preaching  the  gospel  to  these  polluted  idola- 
ters in  this  way  :  — '  I  will  not,  Oh  men  of  Athens  and 
Corinth,  require  too  much  of  you  at  once.  I  will  say 
nothing  of  the  divine  honours  you  pay  to  Jupiter,  and 
Mars,  and  Mercury,  and  Venus,  and  your  other  innu- 
merable gods  and  goddesses  ;  but  I  do  require  in  the 
name  of  my  Master,  that,  when  you  worship  these 
deities,  and  especially  the  latter,  you  should  do  it  in  a 
little  more  respectable  and  decent  manner.  If  you  will 
cease  these,  your  midnight  orgies  in  the  temples  of  your 
gods,  and  prosecute  their  worship  no  farther  than  to  offer 
them  daily  libations,  and  to  prostrate  yourselves  before 
their  images,  it  is,  I  think,  all  the  gospel  requires  of  you 
at  present.  And  for  the  rest,  if  indeed  this  be  not  suffi- 
cient, I  leave  you  to  learn  it  from  my  successor,  Timo- 
thy.' And  thus  had  the  apostle  Paul  understood  the 
'  preaching  of  the  gospel,'  as  many  of  his  modern  sue 
cessors  seem  to  do;  Christ  would  have  died,  not  to  abolish 
idolatry,  but  to  '  remedy  its  evils,'  and  thus  make  it  re- 
spectable !  At  least,  this  could  have  been  the  only  result 


•     REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  207 

for  two  or  three  centuries  after  his  departure  from  the 
world.  If  it  be  said  that  because  we  cannot  abolish 
Slavery  at  once,  that  is  no  good  reason  why  we  should 
not  rejoice  to  see,  and  as  far  as  in  us  lies,  endeavour  to 
effect,  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  slaves  as 
slaves,  we  admit  the  correctness  of  the  remark.  When 
Paul  was  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  he  would 
undoubtedly  be  glad  to  see  the  Heathen  quitting  their  li- 
centious practices,  even  though  they  did  not  go  so  far  as 
to  abandon  their  idols.  This  was  so  much  good  effect- 
ed ;  and  so  we  are  glad  to  see  slave-holders  treating 
their  slaves  with  kindness,  teaching  them  to  read  the 
Bible,  (which  however,  they  hardly  ever  do,)  sending 
them  to  the  Sabbath  school  and  the  church.  But  what 
we  are  protesting  against,  is  the  idea  that  the  gospel  is 
satisfied  and  its  precepts  fulfilled,  when  these  things,  and 
only  these,  are  done.  If  you  rob  a  man  of  ten  dollars, 
it  is  better  you  should  spend  the  money  in  disseminating 
copies  of  the  Bible,  than  of  Tom  Paine's  Age  of  Reason  ; 
but  doing  the  former  will  no  more  justify  the  original 
theft  than  the  latter.  The  gospel  has  no  method  of  teach- 
ing the  robber  how  to  dispose  of  the  avails  of  his  vio- 
lence, so  that  he  may  retain  them  without  sin.  It  has, 
and  can  have,  but  one  precept  in  the  case — '  Restore 
what  thou  hast  wickedly  taken.'  So  if  the  gospel  is  to 
be  preached  to  the  masters  of  slaves,  all  it  can  say  is, 
'  Restore  the  slave  to  HIMSELF  ;  give  him  back  those 
rights  which  belong  to  him,  as  he  is  MAN,  and  which 
cannot  be  taken  away,  without  robbing  both  him  and  his 
GOD.'  " 


208  MEMOIR  OF  THE 


FAULT-FINDERS. 

August  17,  1837. 

"  THERE  is  a  large  class  of  such  men  in  th:s  world. 
They  are  exceedingly  sagacious  in  detecting  ( rrors  in 
other  men,  but  here  all  their  sagacity  ends.  TLey  never 
attempt  any  thing  themselves,  but  spend  all  their  ener- 
gies in  thwarting  the  well-meant  endeavours  cf  others. 
You  never  find  one  of  these  men  harnessed  in  to  assist 
in  pulling  the  ark  of  the  Lord  up  the  hill ;  no — they  have 
as  much  as  they  can  do  to  stand  one  side,  and  find  fault 
with  the  way  such  an  one  takes  hold  to  pull.  He  does 
not  work  to  advantage — or  else  the  traces  are  not  made 
of  the  right  material — they  will  be  sure  to  bre;ik  before 
you  get  half  way  up  the  hill ;  or  yonder  teams  UT  speaks 
too  loud,  or  uses  too  sharp  a  goad — or  something  else  is 
wrong,  no  matter  what.  Sometimes  you  will  lind  them 
hanging  on  to  the  wheels  at  the  very  steepest  places  ot 
ascent,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  they  fear  (c-u.isiderate 
souls  !)  that  the  machine  may  possibly  move  too  fast  after 
you  have  got  up  the  hill  in  going  down  on  the  other  side  ! 
If  you  happen  to  ask  any  of  these  fault-finders,  what  they 
would  have  done,  they  never  can  tell  you  ;  all  they  can 
say  is,  '  Do  differently  from  what  you  are  now  doing.' 
They  can  discern  the  wrong,  but  not  the  right,  So  there 
are  certain  animals  whose  instinct  can  direct  them  uner- 
ringly to  putrid  wells,  while  they  can  neither  discern 
nor  love  the  fountains  of  pure  water  that  flow  near  their 
path. 

There  is  nothing  on  which  these  faith-finders  pride 
themselves  more  than  on  the  superior  equanimity  of 
their  tempers.  They  are  never  provoked  to  an; ;y,  harsh, 
or  even  inconsiderate  expressions — not  they  ;  and  hence 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  209 

they  argue  their  own  superiority  in  judgment,  over  those 
whom  they  are  blaming.  Now  granting  this  assumption 
(of  gentler  speech)  to  be  correct,  (as  to  some  extent  it 
doubtless  is,)  yet  what  does  it  prove  ?  Any  thing  but 
what  will  be  found  creditable  to  these  self-complacent 
gentlemen.  Look  at  the  relative  condition  of  the  par- 
ties. The  one  at  their  ease,  walking  backward  and  for- 
ward at  gentle  pace,  doing  nothing  but  finding  fault ;  the 
other  hard  at  work,  with  their  heads  bare,  their 
4  shoulders  peeled,'  and  every  nerve  excited  to  the  ut- 
most, in  their  efforts  to  '  accomplish  as  an  hireling  their 
day.'  Is  it  wonderful,  that  under  such  circumstances,  the 
working-men  should  occasionally  manifest  some  impa- 
tience at  the  ill-timed  (to  say  the  least)  reproofs  and  cor- 
rections of  these  idlers  ?  We  admit,  that  they  ought  to 
labour  on,  and  always  '  possess  their  souls  in  patience  ;' 
yet  who  that  knows  human  nature  can  wonder  that  they 
sometimes  rebuke  these  ill-omened  idlers  in  no  very 
courteous  terms  ?  And  if  haply  they  use  a  manifestly 
indiscreet  term,  or  make  an  unwise  movement,  there  is 
food  enough  for  the  fault-finders  to  chew  upon  for  a  long 
time,  which  they  do  with  evident  gust,  and  rather  than  it 
should  fail  them,  not  content  with  one  masticating  pro- 
cess, they  ruminate  its  broken  morsels. 

There  are  two  remarkable  cases,  which  may  be  cited, 
illustrating  the  above  remarks  ;  and  both  have  occurred 
within  the  memory  of  the  present  generation.  The  first 
is  the  Temperance  Reformation.  So  soon  as  good  men 
began  to  take  hold  of  this  work  in  earnest,  just  so  soon 
the  croakers  began.  Temperance  societies  were  formed, 
sermons  were  preached,  addresses  delivered,  books  and 
tracts  written,  all  for  the  purpose  of  arousing  the  nation 
to  a  sense  of  its  danger  and  its  guilt,  in  the  matter  of 
drunkenness.  The  fault-finders,  many  of  them  excellent 
18* 


3.10  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

men,  and  embracing  in  their  number  most  of  the  dignita- 
ries both  of  church  and  state,  (for  when  was  u  known 
that  men  of  this  character  commenced  a  work  of  self-de- 
nying reform  ?)  immediately  began  to  cry,  '  innovation,' 
'  fanaticism,'  '  ultraism,'  &c.,  &c.  They  fuund  fault 
(doubtless  often  with  reason)  with  the  temper,  the  spirit, 
the  phraseology  of  the  temperance  reformers.  They  and 
all  else  who  made  any  pretensions  to  decency  were  op- 
posed to  intemperance,  BUT — and  there  they  hung. 
Well,  the  friends  of  temperance,  notwithstanding  all 
their  imperfections,  (which  were  many  and  n;anifest,) 
triumphed.  And  now,  no  man  of  common  understand- 
ing presumes  to  call  himself  the  friend  of  total  abstinence, 
who  does  not  unite  his  name  and  influence  with  the 
Temperance  Societies. 

The  other  case  to  which  we  have  referred,  is  that  of 
Anti-Slavery.  We  are  now  in  the  midst  of  the  develop- 
ments of  this  great  movement.  It  commenced,  like  the 
other,  not  with  men  in  high  places,  so  that  in  tliis,  as  in 
the  temperance  movement,  when  the  glorious  result  aim- 
ed at  shall  be  accomplished,  it  will  then  be  seen  that  it 
was  achieved  '  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.'  And  as  then,  so  now,  we  have 
the  wise,  the  prudent,  the  cautious,  in  short,  the  conserva- 
tives of  church  and  state,  to  contend  with.  They  are 
at  ease,  and  they  do  not  like  to  be  disturbed  ;  or  they 
have  acquired  a  valuable  reputation  in  former  conflicts, 
and  they  do  not  like  to  put  it  to  hazard  in  this  All  such 
would  gladly  stand  neuter  in  the  present  great  conflict, 
and  they  cannot  bear  the  idea  of  being  disturbed,  and 
compelled  to  take  sides  in  the  contest.  Ht-iu -e,  their 
complacency  towards  slaveholders,  and  their  anger  to- 
wards those  who  are  determined,  God  helping,  mat  there 
shall  be  no  neutrals  in  this  moral  warfare.  And  hence 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  211 

it  is  that  when  such  men  have  been  effectually  roused, 
the  first  expression  of  their  feeling  is,  not  of  hatred  and 
abhorrence  to  Slavery,  but  of  anger  and  resentment  to- 
ward those  who  are  opposed  to  this  giant  sin.  This 
continues  awhile,  till  conscience  having  been  awakened 
and  commenced  doing  its  work,  we  soon  begin  to  hear, 
'  I  am  opposed  to  Slavery  as  much  as  any,  man,  BUT — .' 
But  what  ?  Why,  but  Garrison  is  opposed  to  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath,  and  Wright  delivers  lectures  to 
children,  and  the  Misses  Grinike  have  no  business  to 
lecture  in  public,  (we  agree  to  this,)  and  Dr.  Wardlaw 
hates  the  Americans,  and  George  Thompson  is  employed 
by  a  society  of  ladies  in  Glasgow,  and  the  American 
Anti-Slavery  Society  has  seventy  agents  in  the  field,  &c. 
&c.  They  have  now  got  to  a  point  where  they  must 
acknowledge  their  error,  or  continue  to  find  fault.  Hence 
it  is  just  here  that  we  often  see  the  fault-finders  re- 
doubling their  zeal  and  ingenuity,  magnifying  trifles,  and 
converting  mistakes  into  crimes. 

The  result,  however,  cannot  be  doubtful.  All  good 
men  will  come  over — those  who  possess  the  greatest 
simplicity  of  Christian  character  will  come  first,  and  the 
rest  will  follow,  as  the  truth  reaches  the  heart.  In  the 
case  of  Anti-Slavery  as  of  Temperance,  the  '  BUT'  will 
be  removed  ;  and  all  will  see  that  if  the  work  of  redeem- 
ing our  beloved  country  from  the  sin  and  curse  of  Slave- 
ry, is  not  now  well-managed,  the  greater  the  need  why 
they  should  give  their  counsels,  their  prayers,  and  their 
aid,  instead  of  holding  themselves,  as  now,  aloof  for  the 
purpose  of  FAULT-FINDING." 


CHAPTER  XII- 


DURING  the  winter  and  spring  of  1836 — 7  no  open  hos- 
tility was  manifested  towards  the  "  Observer"  or  its  Edi- 
tor. There  were  indeed  some  suppressed  murrnurings, 
which  foreboded  the  coming  storm.  There  were,  too,  a 
thousand  false  reports,  calculated  to  injure  his  character 
and  reputation,  industriously  circulated.  But  so  accus- 
tomed was  he,  in  common  with  others  of  like  sentiments, 
to  be  abused,  slandered,  and  reviled,  that  it  was  looked 
for  as  a  matter  of  course.  As  a  specimen  of  these  reports, 
he  was  represented  as  declaring  from  the  pulpit  in  Upper 
Alton,  which  he  supplied  during  the  summer — that  if  his 
wife  should  die  that  day,  he  would  marry  a  black  woman 
before  Saturday  night.  And  he  was  once  asked  by  one, 
who  could  not  be  charged  with  extreme  ignorance,  if  he 
had  really  made  that  declaration.  And  many  such  like 
things  said  they  of  him  falsely. 

In  the  "  Observer"  of  June  29th  appeared  the  subjoined 
editorial  article. 


DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA.— PETITIONS. 

"  WE  have  received  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Ameri- 
can Anti-Slavery  Society,  a  communication  requesting  that 
we  would  endeavour  to  forward  to  them,  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, the  names  of  two  individuals  in  every  county  of  the 
state,  who  will  be  disposed  to  receive  and  circulate  peti- 
tions to  Congress,  for  the  Abolition  of  Slavery  in  the 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  213 

District  of  Columbia.  We  shall  send  on  such  names  as 
we  are  able  to  designate  by  our  own  knowledge,  imme- 
diately ;  but  as  there  are  many  counties  in  the  state 
where  we  have  no  acquaintance,  we  take  this  method  of 
asking  the  attention  of  all  the  friends  of  humanity  to  the 
subject.  We  suggest  the  following. 

1;  Let  all  such  individuals  as  are  willing  to  undertake 
this  work,  forward  their  names  to  us,  immediately,  free 
of  postage,  stating  particularly  their  county,  and  post  of- 
fice address. 

2.  Where  the  individual  so  writing  is  unknown  to  us, 
let  him  name  some  respectable  individual  in  this  place  to 
whom  we  can  refer,  or  if  he  cannot  do  this,  in  some  other 
way  forward  to  us  satisfactory  credentials.     This  is  ab- 
solutely  necessary  to  guard  against  imposition. 

3.  Let  every  individual  who  volunteers  to  engage  in 
this  work  of  circulating  petitions,  do  it  with  the  full  un- 
derstanding, that  it  will  cost  him  some  time,  some  trouble, 
and  the  good  will  of  every  advocate  of  Slavery.     And  if 
he  is  not  willing  to  undertake  the  business  at  this  ex- 
pense, he  had  better  not  attempt  it  at  all.     And,  moreover, 
let  each  one  sending  his  name,  send  also  the  names  of 
such  other  individuals  in  his  own  or  adjoining  counties, 
as  he  may  think  willing  and  qualified  to  circulate  these 
petitions  with  zeal  and  success. 

We  need  not  add  a  word  touching  the  vast  importance 
of  this  subject.  With  Slavery  in  the  several  states  we 
have  nothing  to  do,  except  in  the  way  of  argument  and 
persuasion ;  but  let  every  freeman  in  this  republic  re- 
member, that  so  long  as  Slavery  exists  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  he  is  himself  a  slaveholder,  and  a  licenser  of 
the  horrid  traffic  in  slaves,  carried  on  under  the  very 
shadow  of  the  Capitol's  walls.  We  have  a  right  to  inter- 
fere there,  and  that  right  brings  with  it  a  solemn  duty, 


214  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

which  we  may  not  innocently  neglect.  John  Quincy 
Adams  presented  the  petitions  of  more  than  one  hundred 
thousand  freemen  last  year,  he  must  have  a  million  this. 
With  proper  effort  we  can  furnish  thirty  thousand  from 
this  state." 

To  this,  public  attention  was  directed  by  its  being 
copied  into  the  Alton  Spectator  and  Missouri  Republican, 
and  commented  upon  in  a  manner  calculated  to  excite 
public  indignation.  July  6th,  the  "  Observer"  contained 
the  following. 

ILLINOIS  STATE  ANTI-SLAVERY  SOCIETY. 

July  6th,  1837. 

"  Is  it  not  time  that  such  a  society  should  be  formed  ? 
There  are  many,  very  many  friends  of  the  cause  in  this 
state,  and  their  number  is  daily  increasing.  Ought  not 
measures  to  be  taken  to  embody  their  influence  so  as  to 
make  it  tell  with  the  greatest  possible  effect  upon  the 
holy  cause  of  emancipation  ? 

We  would  do  nothing  rashly,  but  it  does  seem  to  us 
that  the  time  to  form  such  a  society  has  fully  come. 
There  are  a  number, of  local  societies  already  existing  in 
the  state,  and  it  would  be  every  way  better  that  their  in- 
fluence should  be  concentrated. 

If  it  be  decided  that  such  a  society  ought  to  be  formed, 
when  and  where  shall  the  convention  meet  to  form  it? 
Shall  it  be  in  this  place,  or  at  Jacksonville,  or  Springfield, 
or  elsewhere  1 

We  take  the  liberty  to  throw  out  these  questions  for 
the  consideration  of  our  friends,  and  we  suggest  the  pro- 
priety of  their  giving  to  them  a  speedy  and  candid  con- 
sideration. Let  as  many  as  are  in  favour  of  the  measure 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  215 

here  proposed,  send  us  their  names  for  the  purpose  of 
having  them  attached  to  the  call  of  the  proposed  conven- 
tion, and  let  each  one  indicate  the  time  and  place  of  his 
preference  for  the  meeting  of  the  convention,  with  the 
express  understanding  that  that  place  shall  be  selected 
which  has  the  most  votes  in  its  favour. 

We  shall  hope  to  have  a  response  from  the  friends  of 
the  slave  without  delay.  Every  day  do  we  feel  more 
and  more  the  necessity  of  action,  decided  and  effective 
action,  on  this  subject.  With  many  we  are  already  a 
'  fanatic'  and  an  '  incendiary,'  as  it  regards  this  matter,  and 
we  feel  that  we  must  become  more  and  more  vile  in  their 
eyes.  We  have  never  felt  enough,  nor  prayed  enough, 
nor  done  enough  in  behalf  of  the  perishing  slave. 

This  day  (the  4th)  reproaches  our  sloth  and  inactivity. 
It  is  the  day  of  our  nation's  birth.  Even  as  we  write, 
crowds  are  hurrying  past  our  window,  in  eager  anticipa- 
tion, to  the  appointed  bower,  to  listen  to  the  declaration 
that '  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal' — to  hear  the  eloquent 
orator  denounce,  in  strains  of  manly  indignation,  the  at- 
tempt of  England  to  lay  a  yoke  upon  the  shoulders  of 
our  fathers,  which  neither  they  nor  their  children  could 
bear.  Alas  !  what  bitter  mockery  is  this.  We  assemble 
to  thank  God  for  our  own  freedom,  and  to  eat  and  drink 
with  joy  and  gladness  of  heart,  while  our  feet  are  upon 
the  necks  of  nearly  THREE  MILLIONS  of  our  fellow  men  ! 
Not  all  our  shouts  of  self-congratulation  can  drown  their 
groans — even  _that  very  flag  of  freedom  that  waves  over 
our  heads  is  formed  from  materials  cultivated  by  slaves, 
on  a  soil  moistened  with  their  blood  drawn  from  them  by 
the  whip  of  a  republican  task-master  ! 

Brethren  and  friends,  this  must  not  be — it  cannot  be — 
for  God  will  not  endure  it  much  longer.  Come,  then,  to 
ihe  rescue.  The  voice  of  three  millions  of  slaves  calls 


216  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

upon  you  to  come  and  '  unloose  the  heavy  burdens,  and 
LET  THE  OPPRESSED  GO  FREE  !'  And  on  this  day  when 
every  freeman's  heart  is  glad,  let  us  remember  that — 

'  Wearily  every  bosom  pineth, 
Wearily  ph:  wearily  oh! 
Where  the  chain  of  Slavery  twineth, 
Wearily  oh  !  wearily  oh! 
There  the  warrior's  dart 

Hath  no  fleetness, 
There  the  maiden's  heart 

Hath  no  sweetness. 
Every  flower  of  life  declineth, 

Wearily  oh !  wearily  oh ! 
Wearily — wearily — wearily — 
Wearily — wearily — wearily  oh ! 
Wearily  oh  !  wearily  oh  '.' " 

As  far  as  is  known,  these  were  the  most  obnoxious 
articles  which  appeared  in  the  "  Observer,"  and  which 
by  its  enemies  were  thought  worthy  of  special  notice. 

On  Monday  morning,  the  8th  of  July,  appeared  an 
anonymous  handbill,  requesting  those  friends  of  the  "Ob- 
server" dissatisfied  with  its  course,  together  with  the  com- 
munity generally,  to  meet  at  the  Market  House  on  the 
next  Thursday.  The  doings  of  this  meeting,  as  far  as  is 
necessary,  are  here  given  as  reported  by  the  secretary 
and  published  at  the  time.  It  was  declared  by  the  per- 
son stating  the  object  of  the  meeting,  that  it  was  "  to  sup- 
press Abolitionism  in  our  town." 


ANTI-ABOLITION  MEETING. 

"  PURSUANT  to  public  notice,  a  large  and  respectable 
concourse  of  the  citizens  of  Alton,  assembled  at  the 
Market  House,  early  yesterday  evening,  in  order  to  take 
into  consideration  the  course  pursued  by  the  Rev.  E.  P. 
Lovejoy,  in  the  publication  and  dissemination  of  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  217 

highly  odious  doctrines  of  modern  Abolitionism,  and  the 
more  to  allay  the  spirit  of  an  insulted  people,  which 
*eemed  brewing  like  a  cloud,  and  darkening  our  social 
atmosphere.  Although  the  combination  of  wealth,  inter- 
eat,  and  moral  power  were  assiduously  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  community  in  order  to  deter  them  from  such  a 
course  ;  in  boldly  expressing  their  free  and  unbiased 
opmions  on  a  subject  of  so  delicate  a  nature,  yet  like  men 
bo,  n  to  live  and  die.  untrammeled  by  party,  unseduced 
by  mercenary  motives,  they  met  as  freemen,  determined 
vo  oppose,  in  a  manly  manner,  and  by  a  spirited  resist- 
an,/e,  the  odious  doctrine  of  modern  misrule,  which  has 
st(  le  on  this  community  in  direct  violation  of  a  sacred 
ph  dge. 

The  meeting  was  organized  by  calling  to  the  chair, 
Dl  Halderman,  and  appointing  J.  P.  Jordan,  secretary. 

The  object  of  the  meeting  then  being  stated,  on  motion  a 
committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  draw  up  resolutions — 

Whereupon  J.  A.  Townsend,  Dr.  H.  Beall,  and  S.  L. 
Miller,  were  appointed. 

The  committee,  after  retiring  for  a  short  time,  returned 
and  recommended  to  the  meeting  the  following  preamble, 
&c.,  which  were  unanimously  adopted  : — 

Whereas,  The  citizens  of  Alton  are  called  upon  a 
second  time  to  express  their  disapprobation  of  the  course 
pursued  by  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  Editor  of  the  '  Al- 
ton Observer,'  in  publishing  and  promulgating  the  doc- 
trines of  Abolitionism,  and  that,  too,  in  violation  of  a 
solemn  pledge,  voluntarily  given  by  him  at  a  former 
meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Alton,  when  an  exile  he  sought 
their  protection,  that  he  would  not  interfere  with  the 
question  of  Abolitionism,  in  any  way  whatever,  and  that 
his  intention  alone  was  to  publish  a  religious  journal : 

And  whereas,  On  the  strength  of  that  pledge,  and  ij 
19 


218  MEMOIR  OF  THB 

full  confidence  that  he  would,  as  a  clergyman  of  his  pro- 
fession, hold  it  sacred,  we  welcomed  him  as  an  acquisi- 
tion to  our  place.  But  now  finding,  much  to  our  mortifi- 
cation, that  he  has  wantonly  violated  his  pledge,  and  in- 
troduced into  the  columns  of  his  paper,  Abolition  doctrines 
of  a  most  inflammatory  character,  and  continued  without 
regard  to  his  solemn  assertion  to  do  so,  which  we  as  citi- 
zens of  a  state  untrammeled  with  Slavery,  deem  it  to  be 
improper  as  well  as  impolitic,  to  agitate  among  us  as  we 
can  have  no  benefit  from  it  whatever,  but  on  the  con- 
trary, much  injury  and  damage,  by  eliciting  from  our 
sister  states,  a  feeling  towards  us  highly  injurious  to  our 
community. 

1.  Resolved,  That  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy  has  again 
taken  up  and  advocated  the  principles  of  Abolitionism 
through  his  paper,  the  '  Observer,'  contrary  to  the  dispo- 
sition and  will  of  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  Alton,  and 
in  direct  violation  of  a  sacred  pledge  and  assurance,  that 
this  paper  when  established  in  Alton  should  not  be  de- 
voted to  Abolitionism. 

2.  Resolved,  That  we  disapprove  of  the  course  of  the 
•  Observer,'  in  publishing  any  articles  favourable  to  Abo- 
litionism, and  that  we  censure  Mr.  Lovejoy  in  permitting 
such  publications  to  appear  in  his  paper,  when  a  pledge 
or  assurance  has  been  given  to  this  community,  by  him, 
that  such  doctrines  should  not  be  advocated. 

3.  Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  citizens  be  ap- 
pointed by   this  meeting  to  wait  upon  and  confer  with 
Mr.  Lovejoy,  and  ascertain  from  him,  whether  he  in- 
tends in  future  to  disseminate  through  the  columns  of  the 
1  Observer,'  the  doctrines  of  Abolitionism,  and  report  the 
result  of  their  conference  to  the  public. 

After  the  committee  had  read  the  preparatory  preamble 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  219 

and  resolutions,  they  were  submitted  to  the  meeting,  and 
warmly  welcomed — upon  which 

It  was  moved  that  the  President  appoint  the  committee 
— when  the  following  persons  were  designated : 

B.  K.  Hart,  L.  J.  Clawson,  Col.  N.  Buckmaster,  B.  I. 
Oilman,  Col.  A.  Olney,  and  Dr.  J.  A.  Halderman,  by  re- 
quest. 

After  which  Col.  A.  Botkin  arose,  and  making  some 
pertinent  preliminary  remarks,  offered  the  following  reso- 
lution, which  was  cordially  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  we,  as  citizens  of  Alton,  are  aware 
that  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy  still  persists  to  publish  an 
Abolition  paper,  to  the  injury  of  the  community  at  large, 
and  as  we  deprecate  all  violence  of  mobs,  we  now  call 
on  him,  by  our  committee,  and  politely  request  a  discon- 
tinuance of  the  publication  of  his  incendiary  doctrines, 
which  alone  have  a  tendency  to  disturb  the  quiet  of  OUT 
citizens  and  neighbours. 

Dr.  Halderman  offering  the  four  following  resolutions, 
said  briefly,  he  was  glad  to  see  such  a  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence in  Alton — he  was  cheered  to  know  he  was  not 
alone  on  this  question — that  the  slaveholding  states  yet 
had  friends  even  in  a  non-slaveholding  state,  to  feel  the 
wrongs  and  avenge  the  cause — he  was  moved  to  say,  the 
liberty  of  our  forefathers  had  given  us  the  liberty  of 
speech — and  continuing,  he  added,  it  was  our  duty  and 
our  high  privilege  to  act  and  speak  on  all  questions 
touching  this  great  commonwealth. 

Whereupon,  the  resolutions  being  read,  after  some 
amendments  by  Messrs.  Howard  and  Clifford,  were 
unanimously  adopted. 

Resolved,  That  the  recommendation  in  an  editorial  ar- 
ticle of  the  '  Observer,'  of  a  division  in  all  the  religious 
denominations  on  the  sole  ground  of  Slavery,  is  in  our 


220  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

opinion  destructive  of  the  best  interests  of  Christianity, 
and  an  unwarrantable  assumption  of  arbitrary  preroga- 
tive. 

Resolved,  That  the  immediate  emancipation  of  the  en- 
tire slave  population,  with  their  admittance  to  all  the 
privileges,  suffrages,  offices,  immunities,  and  preferments, 
civil,  political,  and  religious,  in  common  with  ourselves, 
constitutes  the  doctrine  of  modem  Abolitionism. 

Resolved,  That  while  we  disapprove  the  doctrine  of 
modern  Abolitionism,  we  abhor  and  deprecate  the  evil 
of  Slavery,  and  are  ready  and  willing  at  any  time,  to  give 
our  influence  and  our  money,  to  promote  any  system  of 
emancipation,  that  will  better  the  condition  of  that  op- 
pressed race  of  the  human  family,  that  is  agreeable  to  the 
slaveholding  states. 

Resolved,  That  all  the  presses  in  the  West  and  South, 
North  and  East,  friendly  to  the  cause  of  colonization  or 
gradual  emancipation,  in  order  to  ameliorate  the  condition 
and  freedom  of  the  African  race,  are  hereby  requested  to 
publish  the  foregoing  protest  and  resolutions  against  the 
misrule  of  modern  Abolitionism. 

(Signed,) 
J.  A.  H ALDERMAN,  Chairman. 

J.  P.  JORDON,  Secretary." 
July  llth,  1837. 

This  meeting,  though  any  thing  but  respectable,  either 
as  it  regards  the  number,  or  character  of  those  who  com- 
posed it,  had  an  important  influence  in  bringing  about 
the  bloody  tragedy  of  the  7th  of  November.  The  Editor 
thought  of  denying  ever  having  given  a  pledge  ;  but  be- 
ing otherwise  advised  by  his  friends,  did  not  do  so.  This 
was  probably  unwise,  inasmuch  as  his  silence,  was,  by 
many,  construed  into  a  tacit  acknowledgment  of  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  221 

truth  of- the  charge,  and  in  consequence  it  was  believed, 
to  some  extent  both  in  Alton  and  abroad. 

As  to  the  facts  about  this  pledge  we  would  give  the 
following  document,  merely  premising  that  only  four  of 
the  individuals  whose  names  are  attached  to  it  are  Abo- 
litionists, several  of  them  being  opposed,  and  one  de- 
cidedly hostile  to  the  discussion  of  Slavery.  And  it  is 
proper  also  to  state  that  the  paper  was  got  up  by  one 
not  an  Abolitionist,  and  that  it  was  signed,  as  far  as  is 
known,  by  all  the  individuals  at  the  meeting,  who  were 
requested  so  to  do. 

"  Whereas  it  has  been  frequently  represented  that  the 
Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  late  Editor  of  the  '  Alton  Ob- 
server,' solemnly  pledged  himself  at  a  public  meeting 
called  for  the  purpose  of  taking  measures  to  bring  to 
justice,  the  persons  engaged  in  the  destruction  of  the  first 
press,  brought  to  Alton  by  said  Lovejoy,  not  to  discuss 
the  subject  of  Slavery  ;  We  the  undersigned  declare  the 
following  to  be  his  language  in  substance.  '  My  prin- 
cipal object  in  coming  to  this  place,  is  to  establish  a  re- 
ligious paper.  When  I  was  in  St.  Louis  I  felt  myself 
called  upon  to«treat  at  large  upon  the  subject  of  Slavery, 
as  I  was  in  a  state  where  the  evil  existed,  and  as  a  citi* 
zen  of  that  state  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  devote  a  part  of  my 
columns  to  that  subject ;  but  gentlemen,  I  am  not,  and 
never  was  in  full  fellowship  with  the  Abolitionists,  but 
on  the  contrary,  have  had  some  spirited  discussions  with 
some  of  the  leading  Abolitionists  of  the  East,  and  am  not 
now  considered  by  them  as  one  of  them.  And  now 
having  come  into  a  free  state  where  the  evil  does  not 
exist,  I  feel  myself  less  called  upon  to  discuss  the  sub- 
ject than  when  I  was  in  St.  Louis.'  The  above,  as  we 
have  stated,  was  his  language  in  substance ;  the  follow- 
"  19* 


222  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

ing  we  are  willing  to  testify  to  be  his  words,  in  conclu- 
sion. 

'  But  gentlemen,  as  long  as  I  am  an  American  citi- 
zen, and  as  long  as  American  blood  runs  in  these  veins, 
I  shall  hold  myself  at  liberty  to  speak,  to  write,  and  to 
publish  whatever  I  please  on  any  subject,  being  amena- 
ble to  the  laws  of  my  country  for  the  same.' 

GEO.  H.  WALWORTH, 
A.  B.  ROFF, 
SOLOMON  E.  MOORE, 
EFFINGHAM  COCK, 
JOHN  W.  CHICKERING,* 
JAMES  MORSS,  Jr.,* 
F.  W.  GRAVES, 
W.  L.  CHAPPELL, 
A.  ALEXANDER, 
CHAS.  W.  HUNTER." 

In  addition  to  the  testimony  of  these  gentlemen,  we 
have  the  following  editorial  remarks  in  the  first  number 
of  the  "  Alton  Observer." 

September  8th,  1837. 

"  WHEN  the  opposition  to  the  '  Observer'  commenced, 
nearly  a  year  ago,  in  St.  Louis,  it  was  openly  declared 
by  the  leader  of  that  opposition,  himself  an  infidel,  that 
no  religious  paper  should  be  permitted  to  be  published 
in  that  city.  During  the  absence  of  the  Editor  last 
spring,  in  attendance  on  the  General  Assembly,  a  lead- 
ing grog-shop  keeper  in  St.  Louis  was  indicted  for  keep- 
ing open  his  shop  on  the  Sabbath.  Soon  after  his  in- 
dictment a  friend  of  ours  happened  into  the  house,  and 

*  Messrs.  C.  and  M.  recollect  the  substance  to  be  as  above. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOT.  223 

while  there  two  of  the  grocery  man's  cronies  came  in, 
when  all  of  them  fell  to  cursing  and  swearing  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  indictment.  '  It  was,'  said  they,  '  all  the  work 

of  the  d d  Sunday  School  Union,  and  the  Editor  of 

this  paper  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole  of  it,  and  as 
soon  as  he  returned  they  swore,  with  many  oaths,  that  he 
should  be  mobbed.'  And  they  faithfully  kept  their  word. 
Of  course  we  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  indictment,  be- 
ing at  the  time  more  than  a  thousand  miles  distant,  and 
did  not  even  know  of  it  until  after  they  had  executed 
their  threat. 

When  the  Popish  Cathedral  in  St.  Louis  was  conse- 
crated on  the  Sabbath  day,  amidst  the  pomp  of  military 
array,  the  roaring  of  artillery,  the  trampling  of  cavalry, 
»nd  ihe  sound  of  fife  and  drum,  we  published,  from  a  cor- 
respondent, an  account  of  this  shameful  desecration  of 
the  Lord's  day.  And  scarcely  had  our  paper  containing 
the  article,  time  to  circulate  through  the  city,  before 
we  heard  from  various  quarters  that  our  office  was  to  be 
mobbed  down  for  the  offence  we  had  given.  Because 
we  have  declared — an  opinion  which  we  conscientiously 
and  solemnly  believe,  as  we  shall  answer  it  at  the  bar  of 
God — that  the  system  of  American  negro  Slavery  is  an 
awful  evil  and  sin,  that  God  has  expressly  forbidden  us 
to  separate  husband  and  wife,  parent  and  child,  that  no 
man  has  a  right  to  traffic  in  his  fellow-man,  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  master  to  impart  religious  instruction  to  hia 
slaves,  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of  us  all  to  unite  our  hearty 
and  zealous  efforts,  to  effect  the  speedy  and  entire  emanci- 
pation of  that  portion  of  our  fellow-men  in  bondage  amongst 
us ;  because  we  expressed  our  deep  abhorrence  of  the 
act  of  a  mob,  by  which  a  human  being  was  sacrificed  un- 
der circumstances  of  the  most  horrid  cruelty,  and  because 
we  would  not  submit  to  the  imputation  of  Judge  Lawless, 


224  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

that  we  had,  with  others,  incited  M'Intosh  to  commit  the 
crime  for  which- he  suffered — for  these  things,  and  for 
no  other,  has  the  mob  been  let  loose  upon  us,  and  our 
printing  office,  together  with  considerable  of  our  private 
property,  been  destroyed. 

Now  we  ask  every  candid  man,  and  especially  every 
Christian,  what  sentiment  of  all  those  avowed  above, 
ought  to  subject  the  individual  advancing  it,  to  the  popu- 
lar vengeance  ?  There  may  be  many  who  differ  from 
us  in  some  of  the  opinions  here  avowed — and  they  have 
a  right  to  differ — but  are  there  not  enough  who  hold 
them,  to  make  them,  at  least,  respectable  ?  And  is  it  in 
this  country,  and  this  age  of  the  world,  that  a  man  is  to 
be  persecuted,  and  crucified,  for  opinion's  sake  ?  And 
especially  for  such  opinions  ?  Is  the  Inquisition,  ban- 
ished even  from  Spain  and  Portugal,  to  be  set  up  on  the 
prairies  of  the  West  ?  Are  the  American  people,  with 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  in  their  hands,  prepared 
to  engage  in  a  general  crusade  in  favour  of  the  perpetual 
Slavery  of  a  portion  of  the  human  family  ? 


'  Can  these  things  be. 

And  not  o'ercome  us  like  a  summer  cloud, 
With  special  wonder !' 

For  one  we  distinctly  avow  it  as  our  settled  purpose, 
never,  while  life  lasts,  to  yield  to  this  new  system  of  at- 
tempting to  destroy,  by  means  of  mob-violence,  the 
rights  of  conscience,  the  freedom  of  opinion,  and  of  the 
press.  We  intend  not  to  deal  in  harsh  denunciation, 
we  wish  to  bring  about  or  promote  no  disorder  or  disor- 
ganization in  society,  we  would  provoke  no  violence 
from  any  portion  of  the  community  ;  the  only  weapon  we 
would  use  is  the  TRUTH,  the  only  sentiment  we  would 
appeal  to,  the  moral  sense  of  the  community.  If  we 
cannot  be  permitted  to  do  this,  except  at  the  risk  of  pro- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  225 

perty,  reputation,  and  life,  we  must  even  take  the  risk. 
And  the  point  now  to  be  ascertained  is,  whether  with 
these  sentiments  and  this  determination,  we  may  rely 
upon  being  supported,  in  our  present  position,  by  the 
friends  of  morals  and  Christianity  in  the  West.  And  it 
is  precisely  to  ascertain  this  question,  that  the  present 
article  is  written  and  sent  forth  to  the  public.  With  the 
friends  of  Truth,  of  Order,  of  the  Rights  of  Conscience, 
and  of  GOD,  we  leave  the  decision." 

We  now  return  to  the  "  Market  House  Meeting,"  as 
that  held  on  the  llth  of  July  is  usually  called.  And  here 
it  is  proper  to  remark,  that  although  the  invitation  was 
principally  given  to  the  "  friends  of  the  '  Observer'  who 
were  dissatisfied  with  its  course,"  yet  not  one  of  those 
appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  resolutions  for  the  ac- 
tion of  the  meeting,  was  a  subscriber  to  the  paper.  To 
give  their  character  does  not  consist  with  the  design,  nor 
comport  with  the  dignity  of  this  work. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  third  resolution  that  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  "  wait  on  Mr.  Lovejoy  and  confer 
with  him"  as  to  his  future  course.  And  here  it  will  be 
doing  but  justice  to  Mr.  B.  I.  Oilman  to  say,  that  his 
name  was  used  without  his  consent — he  not  being  at  the 
meeting — and  that  he  refused  to  act,  as  will  be  seen  by 
his  name  not  being  attached  to  the  correspondence.  No 
interview  ever  took  place  between  this  committee  and 
the  Editor  of  the  "  Observer."  Their  letter,  together 
with  the  reply  is  given. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  THE  correspondence  below  would  have  been  laid  be- 
fore the  public  sooner,  but  for  the  difficulty  of  getting  a 
meeting  of  the  committee." — Alton  Telegraph. 


226  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

Alton,  July  24th,  1837. 
To  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY  : 

Dear  Sir — In  the  proceedings  of  a  public 
meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Alton,  a  copy  of  which  is 
herewith  transmitted  to  you,  you  will  find  the  following 
resolution : 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  citizens  be  ap- 
pointed by  this  meeting,  to  wait  upon  and  confer  with 
Mr.  Lovejoy,  and  ascertain  whether  he  intends  to  dis- 
seminate through  the  columns  of  the  '  Observer,'  the  doc- 
trine of  Abolitionism,  and  report  the  result  of  their  con- 
ference to  the  public. 

Whereupon,  on  motion,  B.  K.  Hart,  L.  J.  Clawson, 
Col.  N.  Buckmaster,  B.  I.  Oilman,  Col.  A.  Olney,  and 
Dr.  J.  A.  Halderman,  were  appointed  said  committee. 

The  committee  have  thought  it  most  advisable,  to  ad- 
dress to  you  the  proceedings  themselves,  instead  of  any 
written  statement  of  their  own.  The  views  and  feelings 
by  which  the  citizens  were  actuated,  and  their  wishes 
and  expectations,  are  set  forth  with  sufficient  clearness 
in  their  reported  proceedings,  to  which  we  respectfully 
invite  your  attention,  with  the  utmost  deference  to  your 
feelings  as  a  man,  and  your  rights  as  a  citizen.  We  re- 
spectfully request  that  you  will  at  your  earliest  conve- 
nience, answer  the  inquiries  embodied  in  the  above  reso- 
lution,  so  that  we  may  report  the  same  to  the  public,  in 
the  discharge  of  our  duty.  Nothing  but  the  importance 
of  the  question  which  the  meeting  was  called  to  con- 
sider, and  the  dangers  which  its  unwise  agitation  threat- 
ens, not  only  to  the  community,  but  to  the  whole  coun- 
try, could  have  induced  us  to  take  the  step  we  have. 
With  the  wish  that  your  answer  may  be  dictated  in  wis- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  227 

dom,  and  prove  such  as  will  be  satisfactory  to  the  com- 
munity, we  subscribe  ourselves  with  respect, 
Your  obedient  servants, 

B.  K.  HART, 

L.  J.  CLAWSON, 

N.  BUCKMASTER, 

A.  OLNEY, 

JOHN  A.  H ALDERMAN." 

Alton,  July  26th,  1837. 

MESSRS.  B.  K.  HART,  L.  J.  CLAWSON,  N.  BUCKMAS- 
TER, A.  OLNEY,  AND  JOHN  A.  HALDERMAN. 

"  GENTLEMEN — I  have  this  day  received  through  the 
Post  Office,  a  communication  signed  by  yourselves  and 
addressed  to  me,  enclosing  a  printed  copy  of  the  pro- 
ceedings had  at  a  public  meeting  held  in  this  place  on 
the  10th  inst.,  to  which  proceedings  you  invite  my  atten- 
tion. 

Before  replying  more  immediately  to  your  communi- 
cation, permit  me  to  express  my  gratification  at  the  kind 
and  courteous  terms  in  which  it  is  made.  In  this  respect 
it  gives  me  pleasure  to  say,  your  letter  is  all  I  could  de- 
sire. Be  pleased,  gentlemen,  to  accept  my  thanks.  If 
therefore,  my  answer  be  not  such,  in  some  respects,  as 
you  might  perhaps  wish,  I  beg  you  will  not  attribute  it  to 
any  want  of  respect  to  yourselves  as  individuals  or  to 
your  opinions  on  the  principal  subject  of  your  communi- 
cation. 

You  will,  therefore,  permit  me  to  say,  that  with  the 
most  respectful  feelings  towards  you  individually,  I  can- 
not consent,  in  this  answer,  to  recognize  you  as  the  offi- 
cial organ  of  a  public  meeting  convened  to  discuss  the 
question,  whether  certain  sentiments  should,  or  should 
not  be  discussed  in  the  public  newspaper  of  which  I  am 


228  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

the  Editor.  By  doing  so,  I  should  virtually  admit  that 
the  liberty  of  the  press  and  freedom  of  speech,  were 
rightfully  subject  to  other  supervision  and  control,  than 
those  of  the  land.  But  this  I  cannot  admit.  On  the 
contrary,  in  the  language  of  one  of  the  speakers  at  the 
meeting,  I  believe  that  '  the  liberty  of  our  forefathers 
has  given  us  the  liberty  of  speech,'  and  that  it  is  '  our 
duty  and  our  high  privilege,  to  act  and  speak  on  all  ques- 
tions touching  this  great  commonwealth.'  I  am  happy, 
gentlemen,  in  being  able  heartily  to  concur  in  the  above 
sentiments,  which  I  perceive  were  uttered  by  one  of 
your  own  members,  and  in  which  I  cannot  doubt,  yon 
all  agree.  I  would  only  add,  that  I  consider  this  '  liberty' 
was  ascertained,  but  never  originated  by  our  forefathers. 
It  comes  to  us,  as  I  conceive,  from  our  Maker,  and  is  in 
its  nature  inalienable,  belonging  to  man  as  man. 

Believing,  therefore,  that  every  thing  having  a  tenden- 
cy to  bring  this  right  into  jeopardy,  is  eminently  danger- 
ous as  a  precedent,  I  cannot  admit  that  it  can  be  called 
in  question  by  any  man  or  body  of  men,  or  that  they  can 
with  any  propriety,  question  me  as  to  my  exercise  of  it. 
Gentlemen,  I  have  confidence  that  you  will,  upon  reflec- 
tion, agree  with  me  in  this  view  of  the  case,  and  will 
consequently  appreciate,  with  justice,  my  motives  in  de- 
clining to  receive  your  communication,  as  from  the  offi- 
cial organ  of  the  meeting  to  which  you  refer. 

But  as  individuals  whom  I  highly  respect,  permit  me 
to  say  to  you,  that  it  is  very  far  from  my  intention  to  do 
any  thing  calculated  to  bring  on  an  '  unwise  agitation,' 
of  the  subject  of  Slavery,  in  this  community.  It  is  a 
subject  that,  as  I  apprehend,  must  be  discussed,  must  be 
agitated.  All  virulence  and  intemperance  of  language, 
I  should  conceive  to  be  '  unwise  agitation.'  It  shall  be 
my  aim  to  resort  and  provoke  to  neither.  I  hope  to  discuss 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  229 

% 

the  overwhelmingly  important  subject  of  Slavery,  with 
the  freedom  of  a  republican  and  the  meekness  of  a 
Christian.  If  I  fail  in  either  respect,  I  beg  that  you 
will  attribute  it,  gentlemen,  to  that  imperfection  which 
attends  us  all  in  the  performance  of  our  best  purposes. 

Permit  me,  respectfully,  to  refer  you  to  an  editorial 
article  in  the  '  Alton  Observer'  of  the  20th  instant,  head- 
ed, '  What  are  the  sentiments  of  Anti-Slavery  men  ?'  for 
the  full  expression  of  my  views  and  principles  on  the 
subject  of  Slavery.  If  these  views  can  be  shown  to  be 
erroneous,  I  hold  myself  ready  to  reject  them,  and  if 
you,  or  either  of  you,  or  any  of  my  fellow-citizens,  deem 
them,  and  feel  able  to  demonstrate  them  to  be  unsound, 
or  of  dangerous  tendency,  you  and  they  are  cordially  in- 
vited to  make  use  of  the  columns  of  the  '  Observer'  for 
that  purpose. 

With  much  respect, 

Your  friend  and  fellow-citizen, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY." 

From  this  time,  threats  of  destroying  the  office  of  the 
"  Observer"  by  violence,  were  openly  and  frequently 
heard.  The  Missouri  Republican,  a  paper  printed  at  St. 
Louis,  did  what  it  could,  and  that  was  not  a  little,  to  fos- 
ter this  spirit  of  lawlessness  and  outrage.  Of  this,  how- 
ever, the  reader  can  judge  from  the  following  editorial  ex- 
tracts from  that  paper.  The  first  was  in  the  number  con- 
taining the  doings  of  the  Market  House  meeting. 

THE  ALTON  MEETING. 

"  WE  give  to-day  all  of  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting 
held  in  Alton,  on  Thursday  last,  that  our  space  will  per- 
mit.    We  rejoice  to  see  our  neighbours  taking  this  sub- 
20 


230  0         MEMOIR  OF  THE 

ject  into  hand.  The  proceedings  of  the  meeting  speak 
for  themselves.  They  are  not  the  intemperate  ebullitions 
of  excitement,  or  the  temporary  expression  of  a  high 
wrought  feeling ;  on  the  contrary,  the  proceedings  through- 
out, manifest  to  us,  the  deep  and  settled  purpose  of  men 
whose  hospitalities  have  been  slighted,  and  whose  friend- 
ships have  been  abused,  by  one,  who  was  bound  by  every 
moral  and  political  obligation  to  have  acted  otherwise. 
The  Editor  of  the  '  Observer'  has  merited  the  full  mea-- 
sure  of  the  community's  indignation  ;  and  if  he  will  not 
learn  from  experience,  they  are  Very  likely  to  teach  him 
by  practice,  something  of  the  light  in  which  the  honour- 
able and  respectable  portion  of  the  community  view  his 
conduct.  He  has,  by  his  adhesion  to  the  odious  doc- 
trines of  Abolitionism,  of  which  faction  he  now  avows 
himself  a  member,  and  by  his  continued  efforts  to  dis- 
seminate these  odious  doctrines,  forfeited  all  claims  to 
the  protection  of  that  or  any  other  community." 

The  second  was  in  the  paper  of  the  17th  of  August,  a 
few  days,  as  will  be  seen,  before  the  mob,  and  headed, 
ABOLITION. 

"  We  perceive  that  an  Anti-Slavery  Society  has  been 
formed  at  Upper  Alton,  and  many  others,  doubtless,  will 
shortly  spring  up  in  different  parts  of  the  state.  We 
had  hoped,  that  our  neighbours  would  have  ejected  from 
amongst  them,  that  minister  of  mischief,  the  '  Observer,' 
or  at  least  corrected  its  course.  Something  must  be  done 
in  this  matter,  and  that  speedily  !  The  good  people  of 
Illinois  must  either  put  a  stop  to  the  efforts  of  these 
fanatics,  or  expel  them  from  their  community.  If  this  is 
not  done,  the  travel  of  emigrants  through  their  state,  and 
the  trade  of  the  slaveholding  states,  and  particularly  Mis- 
•ouri,  must  stop.  Every  one  who  desires  the  harmony 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  231 

of  the  country,  and  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  all, 
should  unite  to  put  them  down.  They  can  do  no  positive 
good,  and  may  do  much  irreparable  harm.  We  would 
not  desire  to  see  this  done  at  the  expense  of  public  or- 
der or  legal  restraint ;  but  there  is  a  moral  indignation 
which  the  virtuous  portion  of  a  community  may  exert, 
which  is  sufficient  to  crush  this  faction  and  forever  dis- 
grace its  fanatic  instigators.  It  is  to  this  we  appeal,  and 
hope  that  the  appeal  will  not  be  unheeded." 

On  the  21st  of  August,  he  was  taught  by  "  experience 
the  full  measure  of  the  community's  indignation  which 
he  had  merited,"  and  began  to  learn  by  "  practice"  that 
he  had  not  only  "  lost  all  claims  to  the  protection  of  the 
community,"  but  that,  that  protection  was  actually  with- 
drawn. On  this  night, — two  unsuccessful  attempts  hav- 
ing been  made  before — between  the  hours  of  ten  and 
eleven,  the  office  was  entered  by  a  band  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  citizens  of  that  place,  and  press,  type,  and  every 
thing  destroyed.  Several  of  the  hands  were  in  the  office 
at  the  time,  together  with  a  few  other  individuals.  The 
mob  commenced,  as  usual,  with  throwing  stones  into  the 
building.  One  man  was  hit  on  the  head  and  severely 
wounded  ;  soon  after  which,  the  office  was  left,  and  the 
ruffians  entered  unopposed,  and  effected  their  work  of  de- 
struction. 

As  it  was  early,  a  large  concourse  of  citizens  were 
collected,  and  witnessed  the  doings  of  the  mob.  Yet 
the  strongest  argument  used  to  dissuade  them  from  their 
felonious  work,  was,  that  if  they  would  wait  till  morning 
he,  the  individual  that  addressed  them,  a  wholesale  mer- 
chant, would  go  in  with  them,  help  pack  up  the  materials 
of  the  office,  place  them  on  some  boat,  put  the  Editor  on 
top,  and  send  them  all  down  the  river  together !  The 


232  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

civil  authorities  did  nothing.  The  mayor  did  not  even 
gain  a  "  respectful"  audience  by  words  of  persuasion. 
Had  you  on  the  next  morning  passed  round  from  store  to 
store,  and  from  house  to  house,  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  Alton,  the  expressions  "good  enough  for  him," 
"  served  him  just  right,"  "  glad  of  it,"  would  oftener  have 
been  heard,  than  any  words  of  reprobation  or  regret,  aye, 
ten  to  one. 

The  very  narrow  and  providential  escape  of  the  Edi- 
tor from  the  hands  of  the  same  ruthless  miscreants  that 
demolished  his  office,  will  best  be  given  in  his  own  words. 

Alton,  September  5th,  1837. 
DEAREST  MOTHER, 

My  press  has  again  been  mobbed  down.  I  be- 
lieve brother  Owen  has  written  to  you  about  it.  It  was 
done  the  21st  of  August,  Monday  night,  about  11  o'clock, 
But  I  have  thought  perhaps  you  would  like  to  hear 
from  me,  and  I  would  have,  written  sooner,  but  that  I  have 
been  so  hurried  and  worried,  and  so  busy,  that  I  could  not 
snatch  the  time. 

Do  not  think,  mother,  that  I  am  disheartened  or  dia 
couraged.  Neither  is  true.  I  never  was  more  convinced 
of  the  righteousness  of  the  cause,  and  the  certainty  of  its 
ultimate  triumph.  "  As  thy  day  is,  so  shall  thy  strength 
be."  The  truth  of  this  promise,  I  have  abundantly  ex- 
perienced. I  have  been  enabled  to  bear  things,  easily 
to  bear  them,  that  I  should  once  have  thought  would 
have  crushed  me  to  the  earth.  The  Lord  has  indeed 
been  to  me  a  present,  a  very  present  help,  in  time  of 
trouble.  The  Sabbath  succeeding  the  mob,  I  preached 
from  the  text,  "  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace, 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because  he  trusteth  in  thee  " 
I  understood  that  text  as  I  never  had  before. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  233 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  have  a  brief  description  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  mob.  About  9  o'clock  I  was  re- 
turning from  a  friend's  where  I  had  been  to  marry  a 
couple.  I  stepped  into  the  apothecary's  as  I  came 
through  town,  and  got  some  medicine  to  bring  home  to 
my  wife,  she  being  very  sick,  as  were  also  several  other 
members  of  my  family.  We  reside  more  than  half  a  mile 
from  town.  And  just  as  I  was  leaving  the  principal  street 
I  met  the  mob.  They  did  not  at  first  recognize  me,  and  I 
parted  their  columns  for  some  distance,  and  had  just 
reached  the  rear,  when  some  of  them  began  to  suspect 
who  it  was.  They  immediately  wheeled  their  column 
and  came  after  me ;  I  did  not  hurry  at  all,  believing  it 
was  not  for  such  a  man  as  I  am  to  flee.  They  seemed  a 
little  loath  to  come  on  me,  and  I  could  hear  their  leaders 
swearing  at  them,  and  telling  them  to  "push  on,"  &c. 
By  ^his  time  they  began  to  throw  clods  of  dirt  at  me,  and 
several  hit,  without  hurting  me.  And  now  a  fellow 
pushed  up  to  my  side  armed  with  a  club,  to  ascertain 
certainly  who  it  was.  He  then  yelled  out,  "  It's  the 

d d  Abolitionist,  give  him  hell  ;"  whereat  there  was 

another  rush  upon  me.  But  when  they  got  close  up, 
they  seemed  again  to  fall  back.  At  length  a  number  of 
them,  linked  arm  in  arm,  pushed  by  me  and  wheeled  in 
the  road  before  me,  thus  stopping  me  completely.  I 
then  spoke  to  them,  asking  them  why  'they  stopped  me. 

By  this  time  the  cry  was  all  around  me,  "  d n  him," 

"  rail  him,"  "  rail  him,"  "  tar  and  feather  him,"  "  tar  and 
feather  him."  1  had  no  doubt  that  such  was  to  be  my 
fate.  I  then  said  to  them,  I  have  one  request  to  make  of 
you,  and  then  you  may  do  with  me  what  you  please, — I 
then  asked  them  to  send  one  of  their  number  to  take  the 
medicine  to  my  wife,  which  I  begged  they  would  do 
without  alarming  her.  This  they  promised,  and  sent  one 
20* 


234  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

of  their  number  to  do  it,  who  did  it  according  o  their 
promise.  I  then  said  to  them,  "  You  had  better  let  me 
go  home,  you  have  no  right  to  detain  me  ;  I  have  never 
injured  you."  They  began  to  curse  and  swear,  when  I 
added,  "  I  am  in  your  hands,  and  you  must  do  with  me 
whatever  God  permits  you  to  do."  They  consulted  a  few 
moments,  and  then  told  me  I  might  go  home. 

Thus  you  see  how  the  Lord  delivered  me  from  those 
who  rose  up  to  do  me  hurt.  Blessed  be  his  name.  During 
the  whole  of  this  trying  scene  my  mind  was  as  calm  as 
it  is  now.  I  had  time  when  I  heard  the  mob  coming,  to 
lift  up  my  heart  to  God,  and  he  kept  it  in  perfect  peace. 

Do  write  soon.  My  sheet  is  full.  I  am  well,  and  so 
are  we  all  but  wife  and  child,  and  they  are  better.  Love 
to  all  our  brothers  and  sisters.  May  God  bless  them  and 
you,  my  dearest  mother. 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

That  the  world  may  know  what  were  the  principles, 
for  believing  which  he  "  forfeited  all  claims  to  the  pro- 
tection of  that  or  any  other  community,"  we  give  here 
his  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  Slavery,  as  contained 
in  the  "  Alton  Observer"  of  July  20th,  1837,  alluded  to 
in  his  answer  to  the  Market  House  Committee. 


WHAT  ARE  THE  DOCTRINES  OF  ANTI- 
SLAVERY  MEN? 

"  A  YOUNG  man  had  become  exceedingly  angry  with  an 
ancient,  philosopher,  and  had  raised  his  cane  to  strike 
him.  '  Strike,'  said  the  philosopher — '  strike,  but  hear 
me.'  He  listened,  and  was  convinced.  There  is  not, 
probably,  an  individual,  who  reads  this,  that  cannot  re- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  235 

collect  some  instance  in  his  life,  in  which  his  strong  op- 
position to  certain  measures  and  principles,  he  now  sees, 
was  entirely  owing  to  groundless  and  unreasonable  pre- 
judices ;  and  he  is  a  fortunate  man  who  can  recollect 
but  one  such  instance. 

In  respect  to  the  subject  now  to  be  discussed,  the 
writer  frankly  confesses  no  one  of  his  readers  can  pos- 
sibly be  more  prejudiced,  or  more  hostile  to  anti-slavery 
measures  or  men,  than  he  once  was.  And  his,  too,  were 
honest,  though,  alas  !  how  mistaken,  prejudices.  They 
arose  partly  from  the  fact  that  the  '  new  measures'  came 
directly  in  contact  with  his  former  habits  of  thought  and 
action,  and  partly,  and  chiefly,  from  the  strange  and  as- 
tonishingly perverted  representations  given  of  leading 
men  and  their  principles,  in  this  new  movement.  We 
recollect  no  instance  of  parallel  misrepresentation,  except 
the  charge  brought  against  Christ  of  casting  out  devils 
by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  devils.  These  misrepre- 
sentations were  started  by  a  few,  and  honestly  believed 
by  the  many.  They  still  prevail  to  a  very  great  extent. 
Very  probably  some  of  our  readers  may  be  under  their 
influence  more  or  less.  We  ask  them  to  be  candid  with 
themselves,  and  if  they  find  this  to  be  the  case,  to  make 
an  effort  to  throw  them  off,  and  come  to  the  perusal  of 
what  follows,  ready  to  embrace  the  truth  wherever  it  is 
found.  For  truth  is  eternal,  unchanging,  though  circum- 
stances may,  and  do  operate  to  give  a  different  colour  to 
it,  in  our  view,  at  different  times.  And  truth  will  pre- 
vail, and  those  who  do  not  yield  to  it  must  be  destroyed 
by  it.  What  then  are  the  doctrines  of  Anti-Slavery  men  ? 

FIRST  PRINCIPLES.   . 

1.  Abolitionists  hold  that  'all  men  are  born  free  and 
equal,  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable 


236  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

rights,  among  which  are  life,  LIBERTY,  and  the  pursuit 
of  happiness.'  They  do  not  believe  that  these  rights  are 
abrogated,  or  at  all  modified  by  the  colour  of  the  skin, 
but  that  they  extend  alike  to  every  individual  of  the  hu- 
man family. 

2.  As  the  above-mentioned  rights  are  in  their  nature 
inalienable,  it  is  not  possible  that  one  man  can  convert 
another  into   a  piece   of  property,  thus  at  once  annihi- 
lating all  his  personal  rights,  without  the  most  flagrant 
injustice    and  usurpation.     But  American  Slavery  does 
this — it  declares    a  slave  to  be  a  «  THING,'  a  '  CHAT- 
TEL,' an  article  of  personal  '  PROPERTY,'  a  piece  of  '  MER- 
CHANDISE,' and   now  actually  holds  TWO  AND  A  HALF 
MILLIONS  of  our  fellow-men  in  this  precise  condition. 

3.  Abolitionists,  therefore,  hold  American  Slavery  to 
be  a  wrong,  a  legalized  system  of  inconceivable  injus- 
tice, and  a  SIN.     That  it  is  a  sin  against   God,  whose 
prerogative  as  the  rightful  owner  of  all  human  beings  is 
usurped,  and  against  the  slave  himself,  who  is  deprived 
of  the  power  to  dispose  of  his  services  as  conscience  may 
dictate,  or  his  Maker  require.     And  as  whatever  is  mo- 
rally wrong  can  never  be  politically  right,  and   as   the 
Bible  teaches,  and  as   Abolitionists  believe,  that  '  right- 
eousness exalteth  a  nation,  while  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any 
people,'  they  also  hold  that  Slavery  is  a  political  evil  of 
unspeakable  magnitude,  and  one  which,  if  not  removed, 
will  speedily  work  the  downfall  of  our  free  institutions, 
both  civil  and  religious. 

4.  As  the  Bible  inculcates  upon   man  but  one  duty  in 
respect  to  sin,  and  that  is,  immediate  repentance  ;  Aboli- 
tionists believe  that  all  who  hold  slaves,  or  who  approve 
the  practice  in  others,  should  immediately  cease  to  do  so. 

5.  Lastly,  Abolitionists  believe,  that  as  all  men  are 
born  free,  so  all  who  are  now  held  as  slaves  in  this 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVE  JOY.  237 

country  were  BORN  FREE,  and  that  they  are  slaves  now 
is  the  sin,  not  of  those  who  introduced  the  race  into  this 
country,  but  of  those,  and  those  alone,  who  now  hold 
them,  and  have  held  them  in  Slavery  from  their  birth. 
Let  it  be  admitted,  for  argument's  sake,  that  A  or  B  has 
justly  forfeited  his  title  to  freedom,  and  that  he  is  now 
the  rightful  slave  of  C,  bought  with  his  money,  how  does 
this  give  C  a  claim  to  the  posterity  of  A  down  to  the 
latest  generation  ?  And  does  not  the  guilt  of  enslaving 
the  successive  generations  of  A's  posterity  belong  to 
their  respective  masters,  whoever  they  be  ?  No  where 
are  the  true  principles  of  freedom  and  personal  rights 
better  understood  than  at  the  South,  though  their  prac- 
tice corresponds  so  wretchedly  with  their  theory.  Abo- 
litionists adopt,  as  their  own,  the  following  sentiments, 
expressed  by  Mr.  Calhoun  in  a  speech  on  the  tariff  ques- 
tion, delivered  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  in 
1833  : — '  He  who  earns  the  money — who  digs  it  out  of 
the  earth  with  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  has  a  just  title  to  it 
against  the  Universe.  No  one  has  a  right  to  touch  it, 
without  his  consent,  except  his  government,  and  it  only 
to  the  extent  of  its  legitimate  wants :  to  take  more  is 
robbery?  Now,  this  is  precisely  what  slaveholders  do, 
and  Abolitionists  do  but  echo  back  their  own  language, 
when  they  pronounce  it  '  robbery.' 

EMANCIPATION WHAT  IS  MEANT  BY  IT  ? 

Simply,  that  the  slaves  shall  cease  to  be  held  as  pro- 
perty, and  shall  henceforth  be  held  and  treated  as  hu- 
man beings.  Simply,  that  we  should  take  our  feet  from 
off  their  necks.  Perhaps  we  cannot  express  ourselves 
better  than  to  quote  the  language  of  another  southerner. 
In  reply  to  the  question  what  is  meant  by  emancipation, 
the  answer  is : 


238  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

1.  '  It  is  to  reject  with  indignation  the  wild  and  guilty 
phantasy,  that  man  can  hold  property  in  man.  2.  To 
pay  the  labourer  his  hire,  for  he  is  worthy  of  it.  3.  No 
longer  to  deny  him  the  right  of  marriage,  but  to  '  let  every 
man  have  his  own  wife,'  as  saith  the  apostle.  4.  To  let 
parents  have  their  own  children,  for  they  are  the  gift  of 
the  Lord  to  them,  and  no  one  else  has  any  right  to  them. 
5.  No  longer  to  withhold  the  advantages  of  education, 
and  the  privilege  of  reading  the  Bible.  6.  To  put  the 
slave  under  the  protection  of  law,  instead  of  throwing 
him  beyond  its  salutary  influence.' 

Now,  who  is  there  that  is  opposed  to  Slavery  at  all, 
and  believes  it  to  be  wrong  and  a  sin,  but  will  agree  to 
all  this  ? 

HOW   AND  BY  WHOM  IS  EMANCIPATION  TO  BE  EFFECTED  ? 

To  this  question  the  answer  is,  by  the  masters  them- 
selves, and  by  no  others.  No  others  can  effect  it,  nor  is 
it  desirable  that  they  should,  even  if  they  could.  Eman- 
cipation, to  be  of  any  value  to  the  slave,  must  be  the  free, 
voluntary  act  of  the  master,  performed  from  a  conviction 
of  its  propriety.  This  avowal  may  sound  very  strange 
to  those  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  taking  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Abolitionists  from  the  misrepresentations  of 
their  opponents.  Yet  this  is,  and  always  has  been,  the 
cardinal  principle  of  Abolitionists.  If  it  be  asked, 
then,  why  they  intermeddle  in  a  matter  where  they  can 
confessedly  do  nothing  themselves,  in  achieving  the  de- 
sired result?  their  reply  is,  that  this  is  the  very  reason 
why  they  do  and  ought  to  intermeddle.  It  is  because 
they  cannot  emancipate  the  slaves,  that  they  call  upon 
those  who  can  to  do  it.  Could  they  themselves  do  it, 
there  would  be  no  need  of  discussion — instead  of  dis- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  239 

cussing  they  would  act,  and  with  their  present  views, 
the  work  would  soon  be  accomplished. 

Who  are  they  that  hold  Temperance  meetings,  form 
Temperance  Societies,  sustain  and  edit,  and  circulate 
Temperance  '  Intelligencers'  and  '  H  eralds'?  Are  they 
the  men  who  own  distilleries,  or  who  sell  or  drink  ardent 
spirits  by  the  wholesale  or  retail  1  Directly  the  reverse. 
They  are  men  who  have  been  convinced  of  the  evil  and 
the  sin  of  such  practices,  and  having  quit  them,  them- 
selves, are  now  endeavouring  to  persuade  their  neigh- 
bours to  do  the  same  thing.  For  what  purpose  are  the 
very  efficient  Executive  Committee  of  the  Illinois  State 
Temperance  Society  now  publishing  their  '  Herald,'  and 
endeavouring  to  send  it  into  every  family  of  the  state  1 
Avowedly  for  the  purpose  of  shutting  up  every  distillery 
and  dram  shop  in  the  state.  The  object  is  a  noble  one, 
and  we  bid  them  God  speed  ;  but  how  do  they  purpose 
to  accomplish  it  ?  By  doing  violence,  or  exciting  an 
angry  community  to  do  violence,  to  the  persons  or  pro- 
perty of  their  fellow  citizens  ?  By  no  manner  of  means. 
They  would  not,  if  they  could,  shut  up  a  single  grog- 
shop belonging  to  their  neighbours — and  in  this  thing,  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  state,  yea,  of  the  world,  are  their 
neighbours — but  they  wish,  and  are  determined,  if  light, 
and  love,  and  argument,  and  fact,  and  demonstration  can 
effect  it,  to  persuade  all  to  abandon  a  business  so  detri- 
mental to  all  concerned  in  it,  and  to  the  community  at 
large.  Now  this  is  precisely  the  ground  occupied  by 
Abolitionists  in  relation  to  Slavery.  And  let  it  be  re- 
membered that  the  objection  of  interfering  in  the  busi- 
ness of  others  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  one  as  to 
the  other.  Should  the  friends  of  Temperance  succeed, 
they  will  deprive  many  a  man  of  what  is  now  a  very 
profitable  business,  and  so  will  the  Abolitionists.  But  in 


240  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

both  cases  the  result  will  be  achieved  with  the  hearty 
and  glad  acquiescence  of  those  more  immediately  con- 
cerned, and  a  great  common  good  will  be  effected,  infi- 
nitely over-balancing  the  partial  e,vil,  if  evil  it  may  be 
called,  to  deprive  a  man  of  the  profits  arising  from  rum 
selling  or  slave  trading. 

But,  in  the  second  place,  as  to  the  particular  mode  of 
effecting  emancipation.  This,  too,  belongs  to  the  master 
to  decide.  When  we  tell  a  distiller  or  a  vender  of  ar- 
dent spirits,  that  duty  requires  him  to  forsake  his  present 
business,  we  go  no  further.  It  belongs  not  to  the  preacher 
of  Temperance  to  dictate  to  them,  what  particular  use 
they  shall  make  of  those  materials  now  so  improperly 
employed.  He  may  do  any  thing,  convert  his  buildings 
and  appurtenances  to  any  use,  so  that  it  be  a  lawful  one. 
Yet  advice  might,  perhaps,  be  kindly  given  and  profitably 
listened  to.  We  can  tell  the  slaveholder  what  he  may 
do  with  his  slaves  after  emancipation,  so  as  to  do  them 
justice,  and  at  the  same  time,  lose  nothing  himself. 
Employ  them  as  free  labourers,  pay  them  their  stipulated 
wages,  and  the  results  of  the  West  India  emancipation 
have  afforded  to  us  the  means  of  assuring  him  that  he 
will  derive  more  clear  profit  from  their  labour  as  freemen 
than  as  slaves.  Did  the  Abolitionists  propose  to  remove 
the  slave  population  from  the  country,  the  free  inhabi- 
tants of  the  South  might  justly  complain  ;  for  that  would 
soon  render  their  country  a  barren  and  uncultivated 
waste.  But  they  aim  at  no  such  thing  ;  nor  yet  would 
they  encourage  or  allow  the  emancipated  slaves  to  roam 
about  the  country  as  idle  vagabonds  ;  they  would  say  to 
them,  as  to  others,  "  They  that  will  not  work,  neither 
shall  they  eat,"  and  let  the  regulation  be  enforced  with 
all  proper  sanctions.  Only,  when  they  work  let  them 
be  paid  for  it. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  241 

AMALGAMATION — EQUAL  PRIVILEGES,  &C. 

No  charge  lias  been  more  perseveringly  made,  or  con- 
tributed more  to  render  the  cause  of  emancipation  odious, 
than  that  its  friends  were  also  advocates  of  the  amalga- 
mation of  the  two  races.  Now,  in  answer  to  this,  we 
reply  : 

1.  The  charge  comes  with  an  exceedingly  bad  grace 
from  those  who  are  loudest  in  making  it ;  since  they,  that 
is  many  of  them — (we  speak  within  bounds  when  we  say 
more  than  half  of  them)  — do  not  only  advocate,  but  ac- 
tually practice  amalgamation.     The  evidence  of  this  is 
written   in   the   bleached    countenances   of  the   slaves 
throughout   all   the   slaveholding  region.     The  law  of 
slave  descent  is,  that  the  children  follow  the  condition  of 
the  mother  ;  and  the  consequence  is,  that  thousands  hold 
as  slaves  their  own  sons  and  daughters,  and  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  nephews    and   neices.     We   know  several 
cases  of  this  sort.     The  Vice  President  of  the  United 
States  has  been,  if  he  is  not  now,  the  father  of  slaves. 
And  thousands  have  voted  to  elevate  him  to  his  presejit 
condition,  who  would  crucify  an  Abolitionist  on  the  bare 
suspicion  of  favouring,  though  only  in  theory,  such  an 
amalgamation.     How  shall  we  account  for  such  incon- 
sistency ? 

2.  But,  secondly,  the   charge  is  untrue — completely, 
and  absolutely,  and  in  every  sense  untrue.     Abolitionists 
do  NOT  advocate  the  doctrine  of  amalgamation,  but  the 
reverse.     And  nothing  can  be  more  unjust  than  thus  to 
charge  them,  without  the  least  shadow  of  truth  to  sustain, 
the  charge.     On  the  contrary,  one  reason  why  Abolition- 
itsts  urge  the  Abolition  of  Slavery  is,  that  they  fully  be- 
lieve it  will  put  a  stop,  in  a  great,  and  almost  entire  mea- 
sure, to  that  wretched,  and  shameful,  and  polluted  inter- 
course between  the  whites  and  blacks,  now  so  common, 

21 


242  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

it  may  be  said  so  universal,  in  the  slave  states.  As  to 
equality  of  privileges,  immunities,  &c.,  the  question  of 
emancipation  has  nothing  to  do  with  these  questions  at 
all.  Abolitionists  are  not  so  silly  as  to  suppose  that 
merely  setting  the  slaves  free  will  at  once  make 
learned,  virtuous,  and  influential  individuals  out  of  the 
degraded  mass  of  slaves.  They  know  better,  though  at 
the  same  time,  they  believe  a  process  of  purification  and 
elevation  would  commence,  which  would  gradually  be 
productive  of  the  most  beneficial  consequences.  The 
question  of  civil  rights  is  one  entirely  distinct  from  that 
of  personal  rights.  Let  the  latter  be  restored  and  guar- 
anteed, and  the  whole  object  of  the  Abolitionists,  as  such, 
is  accomplished.  Political  rights  are  alienable,  per- 
sonal rights  are  not.  Personal  rights  are  often  as  se- 
cure under  the  government  of  a  despot — Frederick  the 
Great,  of  Prussia,  for  instance,  as  they  possibly  can  be 
any  where ;  while  at  the  same  time  the  subject  has  no 
political  rights,  give  him  these  and  you  allow  him  to  pursue 
his  own  happiness  in  his  own  way,  provided  he  seeks  it 
not  at  tne  expense  of  others.  If  in  this  pursuit  he  be- 
comes the  most  virtuous,  the  most  learned,  the  most  elo- 
quent, the  most  influential  man  in  the  United  States,  we 
see  not  how  it  is  to  be  helped,  nor  who  has  a  right  to  ob- 
struct his  course. 

The  above  exposition  of  anti-slavery  principles  has 
been  made  at  the  request  of  a  number  of  our  re- 
spectable citizens.  In  preparing  it,  we  have  felt  deeply 
our  responsibility,  and  have  trembled  lest  through  any  in- 
advertence of  language  we  should  make,  ourselves  liable 
to  be  misunderstood,  and  thus  repel  the  minds  of  those 
whom  we  wish  to  gain.  In  the  correctness  of  these 
principles  we  have  the  most  unshaken  confidence,  and 
that  they  finally  will  be  properly  understood  and  most 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  243 

universally  adopted  by  our  countrymen,  we  have  no  more 
doubt  than  we  have,  that  Washington  lived  and  Warren 
died  to  secure  the  blessings  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 
That  they  have  met  with  such  determined  opposition, 
and  brought  upon  their  prominent  supporters  such  ex- 
treme manifestations  of  popular  hatred,  is  partly  and 
chiefly  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  have  been  strangely 
misapprehended,  and  partly  that  in  their  practical  appli- 
cation in  this  country,  they  strike,  or  are  supposed  to 
srike,  at  self-interests  of  great  magnitude. 

Until  the  sentiments  and  principles  set  forth  above 
bhall  prevail  over  the  earth,  the  world  can  never  be  deliv- 
ered from  the  bondage  under  which  it  has  so  long  groaned. 
They  are  the  sentiments  which,  though  oftentimes  dimly 
and  feebly  apprehended,  have  actuated  the  minds  of  the> 
great  and  good  of  every  age,  who  have  mourned  over  the- 
degradation  of  human  nature,  and  have  sought  to  elevate 
it,  by  ascertaining  and  securing  those  rights  of  man  with 
which  his  Maker  has  endowed  him.  They  are  the  prin- 
ciples which  actuated  a  Thrasybulus,  an  Epaminondas,  a 
Spartacus  and  a  Brutus,  of  antiquity ;  a  Doria,  a  Tell,  a 
Hampden,  a  Sidney,  a  Russell,  a  Hancock,  an  Adams,  a 
Washington,  of  later  days.  They  brought  our  pilgrim 
fathers  from  the  homes  and  fire-sides  of  old  England  to 
this  country,  then  an  unknown  land,  and  a  waste,  howl- 
ing wilderness.  They  sustained  them  to  endure  toils, 
and  hardships,  and  privations,  until  they  made  the  '  wilder- 
ness to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose.'  And  now  shall 
their  children  forsake  these  principles,  and  attempt  to  roll 
back  the  wheels  of  that  reformation  on  whose  banner  is 
inscribed  the  LIBERTY  AND  EQUALITY  OF  THE  HUMAN 
RACE,  and  which  dispenses  in  its  train,  alike  to  all,  the 
blessings  of  peace,  of  harmony,  and  the  unmolested  rights 
of  conscience  ?  No,  they  will  not,  they  dare  not. 


244  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

We  do  not  mean  to  be  understood  than  in  the  oases 
referred  to  above,  the  manifestations  of  these  principles 
were  always  proper.  Enough,  however,  appeared  to 
show  that  the  minds  of  these  patriots  and  sages  were 
communing  with  their  Maker,  and  were  receiving  from 
Him — though  owing  to  the  darkness  of  their  minds,  im- 
perfectly understood  and  often  misapprehended — revela- 
tions of  the  rights,  duties,  and  privileges  which  he  de- 
signed for  the  race. 

Did  the  forms 

Of  servile  custom  cramp  their  gen'rous  powers  T 
Would  sordid  policies,  the  barb'rous  growth 
Of  ignorance  and  rapine,  bow  them  down 
To  tame  pursuits,  to  indolence  and  fear  ? 
Lo  I  they  appeal  to  nature,  to  the  winds 
And  rolling  waves,  the  sun's  unwearied  course, 
The  elements  and  seasons  ;  all  declare 
For  what  the  eternal  MAKER  has  ordain'd 
The  powers  of  man;  they  felt  within  themselves 
His  energy  divine. 

These  principles,  then,  are  eternal  and  immutable,  for 
they  are  established  by  God  himself,  and  whoever  would 
destroy  them,  must  first  reach  up  to  heaven  and  dethrone 
the  Almighty.  Sin  had  well  nigh  banished  them  from 
the  earth,  when  the  Son  of  God  came  down  to  re-assert 
them,  and  died  to  sanction  them.  They  are  summed 
up,  perfectly,  in  the  language  by  which  the  angels  an- 
nounced the  object  of  the  Redeemer's  mission — '  GLORY 

TO  GOD  IN  THE  HIGHEST,  ON  EARTH    PEACE,  GOOD    WILL 
TOWARD  MEN.'  " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  destruction  of  the  materials  of 
the  office,  the  friends  in  Alton  had  a  meeting,  at  which 
there  was  but  one  voice,  and  that  was,  that  the  "  Obser- 
ver" must  be  re-established  and  go  on.  A  gentleman,  one 
of  the  most  wealthy  in  the  place,  said,  that  although  he 
could  not  at  that  time  advance  the  money  to  purchase 
new  materials,  yet  rather  than  that  the  paper  should  not 
be  again  started  he  would  mortgage  every  cent  of  his 
private  property. 

Thus  encouraged,  the  Editor  sent  forth  the  following 
appeal  on  an  extra  sheet  of  the  "  Observer." 

TO  THE  FRIENDS  AND  SUBSCRIBERS  OF 
THE  ALTON  OBSERVER. 

August  24th,  1837. 

AFTER  mentioning  the  demolition  of  his  office,  he 
continues  : 

I  now  appeal  to  you,  and  all  the  friends  of  law  and 
order,  to  come  up  to  the  rescue.  If  you  will  sustain  me, 
by  the  help  of  God,  the  press  shall  be  again  established 
at  this  place,  and  shall  be  sustained,  come  what  will. 
Let  the  experiment  be  fairly  tried,  whether  the  liberty  of 
speech  and  of  the  press  is  to  be  enjoyed  in  Illinois  or 
not. 

We  need  your  help,  and  we  must  have  it  or  sink.  Let 
every  man  who  ever  means  to  do  any  thing  in  the  cause 


246  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  do  it  now.  Let  new  sub- 
scribers send  in  their  names,  let  former  subscribers  pay 
up  their  dues,  and  let  every  one  send  in  their  contribu- 
tions, as  it  will  require  not  less  than  fifteen  hundred  dol- 
lars to  re-establish  the  "  Observer."  Every  thing  depends 
on  you.  If  you  take  hold  like  men,  like  freemen,  like 
Christians,  all  will  be  well ;  if  you  do  not,  mobism  will 
triumph,  but  I  shall  be  guiltless. 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

P.  S.  Let  every  man  disposed  to  help,  write  me  im- 
mediately, and  let  me  know  DEFINITELY,  what  he  can  do 
and  what  he  will  do.  E.  P.  L. 

The  response  to  this  appeal  was  full,  prompt,  decided 
and  encouraging  ;  and  from  almost  all  classes.  Espe- 
cially was  this  the  case  from  his  ministerial  brethren. 
The  letters  before  us,  and  there  are  many,  from  every 
part  of  the  state,  and  not  a  few  from  other  states,  are 
uniformly  expressive  of  sympathy  and  condolence  to- 
wards the  Editor,  and  approval  of  his  course— assurance 
of  assistance — and  an  earnest  wish  and  confident  expec- 
tation that  his  paper  should  go  on.  It  is  difficult  to  de- 
cide which  is  greatest,  the  surprise  or  indignation  ex- 
pressed in  these  letters.  Surprise,  because  Alton  had  a 
name  for  morality  and  religion  above  every  other  place 
in  the  state  ;  and  indignation  that  any  attempt  should  be 
made  to  destroy  the  freedom  of  the  press,  and  that  eight 
or  ten  thousand  people  should  be  deprived  the  opportu- 
nity of  reading  the  paper  of  their  choice. 

Having,  in  Alton  and  Quincy,  obtained  by  subscription 
a  sufficient  sum,  he  sent  to  Cincinnati  to  purchase  the 
requisite  materials  for  a  new  office. 

Although  his  hands  were  thus  made  strong,  and  his  heart 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  247 

encouraged,  still  the  latter  part  of  September,  and  the  first 
of  the  next  month,  was  perhaps  the  gloomiest  season  of  tht 
year :  not  from  the  deadly  hatred  of  his  enemies,  though  tha. 
was  continually  increasing,  but  from  the  waning  ardour, 
and  wavering  resolution  of  many  of  his  friends  in  Alton. 
There  were  some,  however,  who  never  swerved  nor  hesi- 
tated. And  it  must  be  acknowledged  lhat  there  were 
many  things  to  discourage  them.  The  pecuniary  burden 
had  to  a  considerable  extent  fallen  on  them,  and  money 
matters  were  hard.  But  what  contributed  principally  to 
this  abatement  of  zeal,  and  partial  desertion  among  his 
friends,  was  the  pernicious  influence  of  a  certain  pam- 
phlet,* full  of  gross  perversions,  gilded  over  with  a  smirk- 
ing cant  of  .Christian  sincerity.  This  tract  with  a  spe- 
cious sophistry  well  calculated  to  deceive,  endeavours  to 
prove  that  the  Holy  Bible  sanctions  the  system  of  Ameri- 
can Slavery  ;  and  exhorts  the  conscientious  slaveholder 
no  longer  to  go  with  his  head  bowed  down  like  a  bulrush, 
oppressed  with  the  feeling  that  God's  "  hot  displeasure," 
is  out  against  him  for  his  oppression  and  injustice,  but  to 
go  cheerily  on  in  the  good  old  time-honoured  path  press- 
ed by  patriarchal  feet,  and  guarded  by  apostolic  injunc- 
tions ! 

Such  was  the  influence  of  this  pamphlet,  seconded  as 
it  was  by  the  efforts  of  a  kindred  spirit — the  Rev.  Joel 
Parker  of  New  Orleans,  that  some  were  deceived  and 
'  went  back,"  others  disheartened;  and  all  who  were 
opposed,  confirmed  and  strengthened  in  their  hostility. 

In  consequence  there  was  a  want  of  union  among 
those  who  had  been  supporters  of  the  "  Observer."  Some 
wanted  it  to  be  a  religious  paper — which  indeed  it  al- 
ways had  been — in  other  words  that  it  should  not  med- 

*  By  Rev.  Mr.  Smylie  of  Mississippi. 


248  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

die  with  the  subject  of  Slavery.  We  speak  now  of 
those  in  Alton,  with  whom  it  was  to  decide  whether  the 
paper  should  start  there  again  or  not.  Owing  to  this 
state  of  things,  the  following  letter  was  written. 


TO  THE  FRIENDS  OF  THE  REDEEMER  IN 
ALTON. 

Alton,  September  llth,  1837. 
DEAR  BRETHREN, 

It  is  at  all  times  important  that  the  friends  of 
truth  should  be  united.  It  is  especially  so  at  the  pre- 
sent time,  when  iniquity  is  coining  in  like  a  flood.  I 
should  be  false  to  my  covenant  vows,  and  false  to  every 
feeling  of  my  heart,  were  I  to  refuse  making  any  per- 
sonal sacrifice  to  effect  so  desirable  an  object.  Having 
learned  that  there  is  a  division  of  sentiments  among  the 
brethren,  as  it  regards  the  propriety  of  my  continuing 
longer  to  fill  the  office  of  Editor  of  the  "  Alton  Observer," 
I  do  not  hesitate  a  moment  to  submit  the  question  to  your 
decision.  Most  cheerfully  will  I  resign  my  post,  if  in 
your  collective  wisdom  you  think  the  cause  we  all  pro- 
fess to  love  will  thereby  be  promoted.  And  in  coming 
to  a  decision  on  this  question,  I  beseech  you  as  a  favour 
— may  1  not  enjoin  it  as  a  duty  ? — that  you  act  without 
any  regard  to  my  personal  feelings.  I  should  be  false  to 
the  Master  I  serve,  and  of  whose  gospel  I  am  a  minis- 
ter, should  I  allow  my  own  interests,  (real  or  supposed,) 
to  be  placed  in  competition  with  his.  Indeed,  I  have  no 
interest,  no  wish,  at  least  I  think  I  have  none  ;  I  know  I 
ought  to  have  none  other  than  such  as  are  subordinate 
to  his  will.  Be  it  yours,  brethren,  to  decide  what  is 
best  for  the  cause  of  truth,  most  for  the  glory  of  God,  and 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  249 

the  salvation  of  souls,  and  rest  assured — whatever  my 
own  private  judgment  may  be — of  my  cordial  acquies- 
cence in  your  decision. 

I  had,  at  first,  intended  to  make  an  unconditional  sur- 
render of  the  editorship  into  your  hands.  But  as  such 
a  course  might  be  liable  to  misconstructions,  I  have,  by 
the  advice  of  a  beloved  brother,  determined  to  leave  the 
whole  matter  with  you.  I  am  ready  to  go  forward  if 
you  say  so,  and  equally  ready  to  yield  to  a  successor,  if 
such  be  your  opinion.  Yet  let  me  say,  promptly, -that  in 
looking  back  over  my  past  labours  as  Editor  of  the  "  Ob- 
server," while  I  see  many  imperfections,  and  many  er- 
rors and  mistakes,  I  have,  nevertheless,  done  the  best  I 
could.  This  I  say  in  the  fear  of  God ;  so  that  if  I  am 
to  continue  the  Editor,  you  must  not,  on  the  whole,  ex- 
pect a  much  better  paper  than  you  have  had. 

Should  you  decide  that  I  ought  to  give  place  to  a  suc- 
cessor, I  shall  expect  the  two  following  conditions  to  be 
fulfilled. 

1.  That  you  will  assume  in  its  behalf,  all  my  obliga- 
tions contracted  in  consequence  of  my  connection  with 
the  "  Observer."     Some  of  them  were  contracted  imme- 
diately on  behalf  of  the  "  Observer,"  and  some  in  sup- 
porting my  family  while  its  Editor. 

2.  As  I  have  now  spent  four  among  the  best  years  of 
my  life  in  struggling  to  establish  the  "  Observer,"  and 
place  it  on  its  present  footing,  I  shall  expect  you  will 
furnish  me  with  a  sum  sufficient  to  enable   me  to  re- 
move myself  and  family  to  another  field  of  labour.     More 
I  do  not  ask,  and  I  trust  this  will  not  be  thought  unrea- 
sonable.    I  would  not   ask  even  this  had  I  the  means 
myself,  but  I  have  not. 

3.  On  these  conditions  I  surrender  into  your  hands 
the  "  Observer's"   subscription   list,  now  amounting   to 


250  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

more  than  two  thousand  one  hundred  names,  and  con- 
stantly increasing,  together  with  all  the  dues  coming  to 
the  establishment.  A  list  both  of  the  debts  and  credits 
accompanies  this  communication. 

May  the  spirit  of  wisdom,  dear  brethren,  guide  you  to 
a  wise  and  unanimous  decision — to  a  decision  which  God 
will  approve  and  ratify,  and  which  shall  redound  to  the 
glory  of  his  name. 

Yours  affectionately, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 

This  paper  we  introduce  for  two  reasons  ;  first,  as  it 
is  e  part  of  his  history  ;  and  secondly,  that  the  reader 
may  have  the  means  of  judging  as  it  regards  those 
charges  of  obstinacy  and  self- will  which  have  so  often 
been  preferred  against  him. 

At  a  meeting  for  the  consideration  of  this  resignation, 
the  two  following  resolutions  were  introduced,  for  the 
sake  of  some  definite  action  : 

1.  Resolved,  That  the  "  Alton  Observer"  ought   to  be 
established. 

2.  Resolved,  That  the  Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy  ought 
to  continue  its  Editor. 

The  first  of  these  was  passed,  as  far  as  is  known, 
without  debate,  or  a  dissenting  voice.  The  second,  after 
being  discussed  through  two  or  three  successive  meet- 
ings, was  left  without  any  definite  action  whatever.  A 
gentleman  playfully  remarked  one  evening,  on  coming 
from  one  of  these  discussions,  "  we  have  been  trying  to 
kill  your  brother  all  the  afternoon,  but  we  cannot  suc- 
ceed." Thus  the  thing  remained.  Meanwhile,  on  the 
21st  of  September,  while  the  Editor  was  absent  attend- 
ing a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  the  press — the  third 
which  he  had  brought  to  Alton  in  little  more  than  a  year, 


REV,  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  251 

arrived.  It  was  landed  about  sunset,  or  a  little  after, 
and,  surrounded  by  quite  a  number  of  friends,  who  had 
been  apprised  of  its  coming  ;  was  conveyed  to  the  ware- 
house of  Gerry  and  Weller.  As  it  passed  along  the  streets 
cries  were  heard,  "  there  goes  the  Abolition  press,  stop 
it,  stop  it ;"  but  no  actual  violence  was  offered.  The 
mayor,  apprised  of  its  arrival,  and  also  of  the  threats  of 
its  destruction,  gave  positive  assurance  that  it  should  be 
protected  ;  and  expressed  a  wish  that  its  friends  should 
leave  it  in  his  hands.  They  did  so.  He  posted  a  con- 
stable at  the  door,  with  orders  to  remain  till  a  certain 
hour.  As  soon  as  he  left,  ten  or  twelve  "  respectable" 
ruffians,  disguised  with  handkerchiefs  over  their  faces, 
broke  open  the  store,  rolled  the  press  across  the  street 
to  the  side  of  the  river,  broke  it  to  pieces,  and  threw  it 
in.  While  thus  engaged,  and  before  they  had  proceeded 
far  in  this  work  of  robbery,  the  mayor  arrived.  He  told 
them  to  disperse.  They  replied,  that  they  would  "  as 
soon  as  they  got  through,"  and  went  on.  This  is  lite- 
rally true.  The  mayor  returned,  saying,  that  he  never 
witnessed  a  more  quiet  and  gentlemanly  mob.  The  fol- 
lowing letter  will  show  that  his  enemies  were  not  satis 
fled  with  merely  destroying  his  press. 

Alton,  October  3d,  1837. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  LEAVITT, 

I  have  just  passed  through  a  scene  which   I 
will  try  to  describe  to  your  readers. 

On  Sabbath,  I  preached  for  the  Rev.  Mr.  Campbell, 
fhe  Presbyterian  minister  of  St.  Charles,  with  whom  I 
had  formerly  been  acquainted,  and  who  had  lately  ar- 
rived in  this  place  from  Wilmington  Presbytery,  Dela- 
ware. I  preached  in  the  morning,  and  at  night.  After 
the  audience  was  dismissed  at  night,  and  when  all  had 


252  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

left  the  house  but  Mr.  Campbell,  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Copes,  and  myself,  a  young  man  came  in,  and  passing 
by  me,  slipped  the  following  note  into  my  hand : 

"  MR.  LOVEJOY, 

"  Be  watchful  as  you  come  from  church  to-night. 

A  FRIEND." 

I  showed  the  note  to  the  two  brethren  present ;  and 
Mr.  Campbell  invited  me  to  go  home  with  him  in  con- 
sequence. I  declined,  however,  and  in  company  with 
him  and  Mr.  Copes  walked  home,  but  a  short  distance, 
to  my  mother-in-law's.  Brother  Campbell  went  in  with 
me,  and  Mr.  C.  passed  on.  This  was  about  nine  o'clock, 
and  a  very  dark  night.  We  received  no  molestation  on 
our  way,  and  the  whole  matter  had  passed  my  mind. 
Brother  C.  and  I  had  sat  conversing  for  nearly  an  hour  ; 
Mrs.  L.  had  gone  to  another  room  and  lain  down  ;  her 
mother  was  with  her,  having  our  sick  child,  while  an 
unmarried  sister  of  Mrs.  L.  was  in  the  room  with  Mr.  C. 
and  myself.  The  rooms  thus  occupied  were  on  the 
second  floor,  the  first  story  of  the  house  being  tenanted 
as  a  store.  The  access  to  the  rooms  is  by  a  flight  of 
stairs  leading  up  to  a  portico,  on  which  the  doors  of  the 
several  rooms  open. 

About  ten  o'clock,  as  Mr.  Campbell  and  myself  were 
conversing,  I  heard  a  knocking  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 
I  took  a  .candle,  and  opening  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  I  sat,  to  learn  the  cause,  I  found  that  the  knock- 
ing had  called  up  Mrs.  Lovejoy  and  her  mother,  who  had 
enquired  what  was  wanted.  The  answer  was,  "  We 
want  to  see  Mr.  Lovejoy,  is  he  in."  To  this  I  answered 
myself,  "  Yes,  I  am  here."  They  immediately  rushed 
up  to  the  portico,  and  two  of  them  coming  into  the  room 
laid  hold  of  me.  These  two  individuals,  the  name  of  one 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  253 

was  Littler,  formerly  from  Virginia,  the  other  called 
himself  a  Mississippian,  but  his  name  I  have  not  learned, 
though  it  is  known  in  St.  Charles.  I  asked  them  what 

they  wanted  of  me.  "  We  want  you  down  stairs,  d n 

you,"  was  the  reply.  They  accordingly  commenced 
attempting  to  pull  me  out  of  the  house.  And  not  suc- 
ceeding immediately,  one  of  them,  Littler,  began  to  beat 
me  with  his  fists.  By  this  time,  Mrs.  L.  had  come  into 
the  room.  In  doing  so  she  had  to  make  her  way  through 
the  mob  on  the  portico,  who  attempted  to  hinder  her 
from  coming,  by  rudely  pushing  her  back,  and  one  "  chi- 
valrous" southerner  actually  drew  his  dirk  upon  her. 
Her  only  reply  was  to  strike  him  in  the  face  with  her 
hand,  and  then  rushing  past  him,  she  flew  to  where  I 
was,  and  throwing  her  arms  around  me,  boldly  faced  the 
mobiles,  with  a  fortitude  and  self-devotion  which  none 
but  a  woman  and  a  WIFE  ever  displayed.  While  they 
were  attempting  with  oaths  and  curses  to  drag  me  from 
the  room,  she  was  smiting  them  in  the  face  with  her 
hands,  or  clinging  to  me  to  aid  in  resisting  their  efforts, 
and  telling  them  that  they  must  first  take  her  before  they 
should  have  her  husband.  Her  energetic  measures, 
seconded  by  those  of  her  mother  and  sister,  induced  the 
assailants  to  let  me  go  and  leave  the  room. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  Mrs.  L.'s  powers  of  en- 
durance failed  her,  and  she  fainted.  I  carried  her  into 
another  room  and  laid  her  on  the  bed.  So  soon  as  she 
recovered  from  her  fainting,  she  relapsed  into  hysterical 
fits,  moaning  and  shrieking,  and  calling  upon  my  name, 
alternately.  Mrs.  L.'s  health  is  at  all  times  extremely 
delicate,  and  at  present  peculiarly  so,  she  being  some 
months  advanced  in  pregnancy.  Her  situation  at  this 
time  was  truly  alarming  and  distressing.  To  add  to  the 
perplexities  of  the  moment,  I  had  our  sick  child  in  my 
22 


254  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

arms,  taken  up  from  the  floor  where  it  had  been  left  by- 
its  grandmother,  in  the  hurry  and  alarm  of  the  first  onset 
of  the  mob.  The  poor  little  sufferer,  as  if  conscious  of 
danger  from  the  cries  of  its  mother,  clung  to  me  in 
silence.  In  this  condition,  and  while  I  was  endeavour- 
ing to  calm  Mrs.  L.'s  dreadfully  excited  mind,  the  mob 
returned  to  the  charge,  breaking  into  the  room,  and  rush- 
ing up  to  the  bed-side,  again  attempting  to  force  me  from 
the  house.  The  brutal  wretches  were  totally  indifferent 
to  her  heart-rending  cries  and  shrieks — she  was  too  far 
exhausted  to  move  ;  and  I  suppose  they  would  have  suc- 
ceeded in  forcing  me  out,  had  not  my  friend  William  M. 
Campbell,  Esq.  at  this  juncture  come  in,  and  with  un- 
daunted boldness,  assisted  me  in  freeing  myself  from 
their  clutches.  Mr.  Campbell  is  a  southerner,  and  a 
slaveholder ;  but  he  is  a  MAN,  and  he  will  please  accept 
my  grateful  thanks  for  his  aid  so  promptly  and  so  oppor- 
tunely rendered  ;  others  aided  in  forcing  the  mob  from 
the  room,  so  that  the  house  was  now  clear  a  second 
time. 

They  did  not,  however,  leave  the  yard  of  the  house, 
which  was  full  of  drunken  wretches,  uttering  the  most 
awful  and  soul-chilling  oaths  and  imprecations,  and 
swearing  they  would  have  me  at  all  hazards.  I  could  hear 
the  epithets,  "  The  infernal  scoundrel,  the  d-^ d  amal- 
gamating Abolitionist,  we'll  have  his  heart  out  yet,"  &c. 
&c.  They  were  armed  with  pistols  and  dirks,  and  one 
pistol  was  discharged,  whether  at  any  person  or  not,  I 
did  not  know.  The  fellow  from  Mississippi  seemed  the 
most  bent  on  my  destruction.  He  did  not  appear  at  all 
drunken,  but  both  in  words  and  actions  manifested  the 
most  fiendish  malignity  of  feeling  and  purpose.  He  was 
telling  a  story  to  the  mobiles,  which,  whether  true  or 
false,  (I  know  not,)  was  just  calculated  to  madden  them 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  255 

His  story  was,  that  his  wife  had  lately  been  violated  by 
a  negro.  And  this  he  said  was  all  owing  to  me,  who 
had  instigated  the  negro  to  do  the  deed.  He  was  a 
ruined  man,  he  said,  had  just  as  lief  die  as  not ;  but  be- 
fore he  died  he  "  would  have  my  blood." 

The  mob  now  rushed,  up  the  stairs  a  third  time,  and 
one  of  them,  a  David  Knott,  of  St.  Charles,  came  in  with 
a  note  signed  "  A  citizen  of  St.  Charles."  I  regret  that 
I  have  mislaid  it.  It  was  short,  however,  requiring  me 
to  leave  the  town  the  next  day  at  ten  o'clock,  in  the 
morning.  I  told  Mr.  K.  I  presumed  he  expected  no  an- 
swer to  such  a  note.  He  said  he  did  not,  and  immedi- 
ately left  the  room.  As  soon  as  he  got  out,  they  set  up 
a  yell,  as  if  so  many  demons  had  just  broken  loose  from 
hell.  I  had  insulted  them,  it  seems,  by  not  returning  an 
answer  to  their  note.  My  friends  now  came  round  me, 
entreating  me  to  send  them  a  written  answer.  This  I 
at  first  declined,  but  yielding  to  their  urgent  advice,  I 
took  my  pencil  and  wrote  as  follows  ; 

"  I  have  already  taken  my  passage  in  the  stage,  to 
leave  to-morrow  morning,  at  least  by  nine  o'clock. 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY." 

This  was  carried  out  and  read  to  them,  and  at  first, 
after  some  pretty  violent  altercation  among  themselves, 
seemed  to  pacify  them.  They  went  away,  as  I  supposed 
finally.  But  after  having  visited  the  grog-shop,  they 
returned  with  augmented  fury  and  violence.  My  friends 
in  the  house,  of  whom  by  the  way,  there  were  not 
many,  now  became  thoroughly  alarmed.  They  joined  in 
advising  me  to  leave  the  house,  and  make  my  escape, 
should  an  opportunity  occur.  This  I  at  first  absolutely 
declined  doing.  I  did  so  on  the  principle  I  had  adopted, 


256  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

of  never  either  seeking  or  avoiding  danger  in  the  way  of 
duty.  "  Should  such  a  man  as  I  flee,"  has  been  my  sen- 
timent, whether  right  or  wrong.  I  was  at  length,  how- 
ever, compelled  by  the  united  entreaties  of  them  all,  and 
especially  of  my  wife,  to  consent  to  do  so,  should  oppor- 
tunity offer.  Accordingly,  when  the  efforts  of  those  below 
had  diverted  the  attention  of  the  mob  for  a  few  moments. 
1  left  the  house  and  went  away  unperceived.  I  went  up 
the  street  a  few  rods,  and  finding  all  still,  1  came  back 
to  reconnoitre,  and  after  looking  round  awhile,  and  seeing 
or  hearing  no  enemy,  I  went  back  into  the  house.  Here, 
however,  so  far  from  being  welcomed,  I  was  greeted  with 
reproaches  in  abundance  for  my  temerity,  as  they  called 
it,  in  venturing  back. 

And  sure  enough,  scarcely  had  I  seated  myself  before 
the  mob  returned  again,  as  though  they  scented  their 
prey.  One  man  now  went  down  to  them,  and  by  the 
promise  of  a  dram,  led  them  all  away,  and  I  was  fain  to 
escape,  not  so  much  from  the  mob,  as  from  the  reproaches 
of  my  wife  and  friends,  by  leaving  the  house  a  second 
time.  It  was  now  about  midnight.  Through  the  good 
hand  of  my  God  upon  me,  I  got  away  unperceived.  I 
walked  about  a  mile  to  my  friend,  Maj.  Sibley's  resi- 
dence. Having  called  him  up  and  informed  him  of  my 
condition,  he  kindly  furnished  me  with  a  horse  ;  and  hav- 
ing rested  myself  on  the  sofa  an  hour  or  two,  for  I  was 
much  exhausted,  I  rode  to  Mr.  Watson's,  another  friend, 
where  I  arrived  about  day-break,  four  miles  from  town. 
Here  Mrs.  L.,  though  exhausted  and  utterly  unfit  to 
leave  her  bed,  joined  me  in  the  morning,  and  we  came 
home,  reaching  Alton  about  noon,  meeting  with  no  let  or 
hindrance,  though  Mrs.  L.  was  constantly  alarmed  with 
apprehensions  of  pursuit  from  St.  Charles. 

On   our   arrival   in   Alton,  as  we    were    going  to  our 


RE\\  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  25t 

house,  almost  the  first  person  we  met  in  the  street,  was 
one  of  the  very  individuals  who  had  first  broken  into  the 
house  at  St.  Charles.  Mrs.  L.  instantly  recognized 
him,  and  at  once  became  greatly  alarmed.  There  was 
the  more  reason  for  fear,  inasmuch  as  the  mob  in  St. 
Charles  had  repeatedly  declared  their  determination  to 
pursue  me,  and  to  have  my  life,  and  one  of  them,  the 
fellow  from  Mississippi,  boasted  that  he  was  chasing  me 
about,  and  that  he  had  assisted  to  destroy  my  press  in 
Alton.  This  was  the  more  readily  believed,  inasmuch 
as  it  was  known  that  individuals  from  St.  Louis,  where 
this  Mississippian  now  temporarily  resides,  were  aiding 
in  that  work.  The  mobile  from  St.  Charles  also  openly 
boasted  here  of  their  assault  upon  me  in  that  place. 

Upon  these  facts  being  made  known  to  my  friends, 
they  deemed  it  advisable  that  our  house  should  be  guarded 
on  Monday  night.  Indeed,  this  was  necessary  to  quiet 
Mrs.  L.'s  fears.  Though  completely  exhausted,  as  may 
well  be  supposed,  from  the  scenes  of  the  night  before, 
she  could  not  rest.  The  mob  haunted  her  excited  imagi- 
nation, causing  her  continually  to  start  from  her  moments 
of  fitful  slumber,  with  cries  of  alarm.  This  continued 
all  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  Monday,  and  I  began  to 
entertain  serious  apprehensions  of  the  consequences. 
As  soon,  however,  as  our  friends,  to  the  number  of  ten 
arrived  with  arms  in  their  hands,  her  fears  subsided,  and 
she  sank  into  a  comparatively  silent  sleep,  which  contin- 
ued through  most  of  'the  night.  It  is  now  Tuesday 
night.  I  am  writing  by  the  bedside  of  Mrs.  L.,  whose 
excitement  and  fears  have  measurably  returned  with  the 
darkness.  She  is  constantly  starting  at  every  sound, 
while  her  mind  is  full  of  the  horrible  scenes  through  which 
she  has  so  lately  passed.  What  the  final  result  will  be 
for  her  I  know  not.  but  hope  for  the  best.  We  have  no 
22* 


258  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

one  with  us  to-night,  except  the  members  of  our  own 
family.  A  loaded  musket  is  standing  at  my  bed-side, 
while  my  two  brothers,  in  an  adjoining  room,  have  three 
others,  together  with  pistols,  cartridges,  &c.  And  this 
is  the  way  we  live  in  the  city  of  Alton  !  I  have  had  in- 
expressible reluctance  to  resort  to  this  method  of  defence. 
But  dear-bought  experience  has  taught  me  that  there  is 
at  present  no  safety  for  me,  and  no  defence  in  this  place, 
either  in  the  laws  or  the  protecting  aegis  of  public  senti- 
ment. I  feel  that  I  do  not  walk  the  streets  in  safety,  and 
every  night  when  I  lie  down,  it  is  with  the  deep  settled 
conviction,  that  there  are  those  near  me  and  around  me, 
who  seek  my  life.  I  have  resisted  this  conviction  as 
long  as  I  could,  but  it  has  been  forced  upon  me.  Even 
were  I  safe  from  my  enemies  in  Alton,  my  proximity  to 
Missouri  exposes  me  to  attack  from  that  state.  And  now 
that  it  is  known  that  I  am  to  receive  no  protection  here, 
the  way  is  open  for  them  to  do  with  me  what  they  please. 
Accordingly  a  party  of  them  from  St.  Louis  came  up  and 
assisted  in  destroying  my  press,  the  first  time.  This 
was  well  known.  They  came  armed  and  stationed 
themselves  behind  a  wall  for  the  purpose  of  firing  upon 
any  one  who  might  attempt  to  defend  the  office.  Yet 
who  of  this  city  has  rebuked  this  daring  outrage  on  the 
part  of  citizens  of  our  state  and  city,  upon  the  rights  and 
person  of  the  citizens  of  another  state  and  city  ?  No 
one.  I  mean  there  has  been  no  public  expression  of 
opinion  on  the  subject.  Our  two  political  papers  have 
been  silent,  or  if  speaking  at  all,  have  thrown  the  blame 
on  me  rather  than  on  any  one  else.  And  if  you  go 
through  the  streets  of  Alton,  or  into  stores  and  shops, 
where  you  hear  one  condemning  these  outrages  upon  me, 
you  will  find  five  approving  them.  This  is  true,  both  of 
professor  and  non -professor.  I  have  no  doubts  that  four- 


REV.   E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  259 

fifths  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  city  are  glad  that  ray 
press  has  been  destroyed  by  a  mob,  both  once  and 
again.  They  hate  mobs,  it  is  true,  but  they  hate  Aboli- 
tionism a  great  deal  more.  Whether  creditable  to  them 
or  not,  this  is  the  state  of  public  sentiment  among  our 
citizens.  A  leading  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
here,  disclosed  to  me,  in  the  presence  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
persons,  that  if  the  "  Observer"  were  re-established  here, 
he  would  do  nothing  to  protect  it  from  a  mob  again.  A 
leading  merchant  here,  and  a  Methodist  minister,  said 
the  same  thing,  at  the  same  time.  Most  of  our  leading 
men,  whether  in  church  or  state,  lay  the  blame  all  on  me. 

So  far  from  calling  the  acts  of  the  mob  outrages,,  they 
go  about  the  streets,  saying  in  the  hearing  of  every  body, 
"  Mr.  Lqvejoy  has  no  one  to  thank  but  himself."  Of 
course  the  mob  desire  no  better  license  than  this. 

The  pulpit,  with  but  one  exception,  is  silent.  Brother 
Graves  was  absent  at  the  time  of  the  first  outrage.  But 
since  his  return  he  has  taken  hold  of  the  work  with 
characteristic  boldness  and  zeal.  There  is  no  cowardice 
in  him,  no  shrinking  from  duty  through  fear  of  man.  I 
wish  I  could  say  as  much  of  our  other  pastors.  Brother 
G.  has  told  his  people  their  duty  faithfully  and  fearlessly. 
Whether  they  will  hear  him  I  know  not,  but  he  has 
cleared  his  skirts. 

And  now,  my  dear  brother,  if  you  ask  what  are  my 
own  feelings  at  a  time  like  this,  I  answer,  perfectly  calm, 
perfectly  resigned.  Though  in  the  midst  of  danger,  I 
have  a  constant  sense  of  security  that  keeps  me  alike 
from  fear  or  anxiety.  «  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect 
peace,  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because  he  trust- 
eth  in  thee."  This  promise  I  feel  has  been  literally 
fulfilled  unto  me.  I  read  the  promises  of  the  Bible,  and 
especially  the  Psalms,  with  a  delight,  a  refreshing  of  soul 


260  MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

I  never  knew  before.  Some  persons  here  call  me  cou- 
rageous, and  others  pronounce  me  stubborn ;  but  I  feel 
and  know  I  am  neither  one  nor  the  other.  That  I  am 
enabled  to  continue  firm  in  the  midst  of  all  my  trials,  is 
all  of  God.  Let  no  one  give  me  any  credit  for  it.  I 
disclaim  it.  I  should  feel  that  I  were  robbing  Him,  if 
even  in  thought,  I  should  claim  the  least  share  to  myself. 
He  has  said,  "  As  thy  day  is,  so  shall  thy  stength  be," 
and  he  has  made  his  promise  good.  To  him  be  all  the 
praise.  Pray  for  me. 

We  have  a  few  excellent  brethren  here  in  Alton. 
They  are  sincerely  desirous  to  know  their  duty  in  this 
crisis,  and  to  do  it.  But  as  yet  they  cannot  see  that  duty 
requires  them  to  maintain  their  cause  here  at  all  hazards. 
Our  Convention  meets  the  last  Thursday  of  this  month. 
And  of  this  be  assured,  the  cause  of  truth  still  lives  in  Il- 
linois, and  will  not  want  defenders.  Whether  our  paper 
starts  again  will  depend  on  our  friends,  East,  West, 
North,  and  South.  So  far  as  depends  on  me  it  shall  go. 
By  the  blessing  of  God,  I  will  never  abandon  the  enter- 
prise so  long  as  I  live,  and  until  success  has  crowned  it. 
And  there  are  those  in  Illinois  who  join  me  in  this  sen- 
timent. And  if  I  am  to  die  it  cannot  be  in  a  better  cause. 
Yours  in  the  cause  of  truth  and  holiness, 

ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THOUGH  cast  down  our  brother  was  not  destroyed. 
And  notwithstanding  the  many  discouragements  which 
surrounded  him,  about  the  middle  of  October  he  sent  for 
another  press.  Three,  as  will  be  recollected,  had  already 
been  destroyed.  One  on  his  arrival,  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1836,  one  on  the  21st  of  August,  1837,  and  one  on  the 
21st  of  September  following.  This  last  press  he  sent 
for  on  his  own  account,  and  at  that  time  had  not  deter- 
mined where  it  should  be  established.  And  here  it  will 
be  proper  to  say  a  word  in  explanation  of  his  "  wish  and 
determination"  to  leave  Alton,  as  there  has  been  some 
misapprehension  on  this  point.  His  own  judgment  of 
the  matter  was  always,  that  the  press  ought  to  remain  at 
Alton,  and  be  maintained  there  at  all  hazards.  At  the 
same  time  he  thought  it  a  sinful  waste  of  property,  to 
bring  presses  there  to  be  thrown  into  the  Mississippi, 
and  consequently  if  friends  remained  idle  and  indifferent, 
and  foes  vigilant  and  active,  it  must  of  course  be  removed 
to  some  other  place.  His  friends  in  Quincy  were  waiting 
to  welcome  and  protect  his  press,  and  he  felt  disposed 
to  go  there,  provided  a  sufficient  number  of  friends  could 
not  be  found  in  Alton  to  sustain  it.  We  speak  confi- 
dently on  this  subject,  as  one  of  us  was  with  our  brother 
at  this  time,  and  remember  to  have  had  a  full  and  free 
conversation  on  this  very  point,  viz.,  the  unpleasant  atti- 
tude of  an  individual  placed  in  direct  opposition  to  a 
large  portion  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  the  duty  of 
maintaining  it.  And  the  conclusion  was,  that  a  fair  ex- 


262  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

periment  had  been  made  as  to  the  protection  to  be  ex- 
pected from  the  civil  authorities,  and  that  unless  volun- 
teers appeared  in  the  defence  of  the  laws,  it  would  be  a 
hopeless  contest.  These  conversations  always  ended 
by  our  brother's  remarking,  "  Well  we  shall  see  when 
the  Convention  meets." 

On  the  third  week  of  this  -month,  October,  the  Synod 
of  Illinois  held  its  annual  session  at  Springfield.  Here 
the  Editor  of  the  Observer  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
his  brethren  from  all  parts  of  the  state,  and  was  greatly 
inspirited,  and  refreshed  by  the  words  of  encouragement, 
and  approbation  which  they  spake  unto  him. 

In  mentioning  the  adverse  influences  which  were  at 
this  time  operating  against  the  Anti-Slavery  cause,  and 
more  or  less  directly  against  the  Editor  of  the  "  Obser- 
ver" as  the  organ  or  representative  of  that  cause,  it  will 
be  proper  to  mention  a  meeting  of  the  Colonization  So- 
ciety of  Upper  Alton,  on  Tuesday  before  the  Anti-Slave- 
ry Convention,  which  was  to  meet  on  the  Thursday  fol- 
lowing at  the  same  place.  The  history  of  this  meeting  is 
as  follows  :  A  few  days  previous,  one  of  the  most  active 
members  of  this  Society — which  by  the  way  had  been 
dead  for  several  years,  accosted  a  very  respectable 
lawyer  of  that  town,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  attend 
an  anti-convention  meeting  and  make  a  speech.  The 
lawyer  replied  with  some  warmth  and  indignation,  that 
if  they  would  get  up  an  anti-mob  meeting,  he  would  at- 
tend, and  make  a  speech.  In  consequence  of  this  an- 
swer, as  it  is  supposed,  they  concluded  to  have  a  Colo 
nization  meeting.  Mutato  nomine,  idem  manet. 

The  Speakers  were  Hon.  Cyrus  Edwards,  and  J.  M 
Peck  of  Alton,  and  the  Rev.  Joel  Parker  of  New  Orleans. 
Mr.  Parker  represented  the  Abolitionists  as  bustling 
round  with  a  great  deal  of  ardour  but  with  little  discre- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  2G3 

lion,  and  less  wisdom,  trying  with  all  their  might  to  get 
a  lever  under  what  they  considered  a  great  mass  of  cor- 
ruption, in  order  to  remove  it  at  once.  But  like  the  Gre- 
cian philosopher  they  could  find  no  stand  point.  Con- 
sequently their  efforts  were  vain.  He  said,  moreover, 
that  owing  to  our  associations,  we  could  not  respect  the 
black  man  in  this  country.  As  an  illustration  he  said, 
an  Irish  nobleman,  might  have  a  servant  who  should  pay 
him  almost  as  much  reverence  as  a  slave  does  his  mas- 
ter. She  might  be  amiable,  affectionate,  and  faithful,  and 
secure  the  love  of  her  master,  but  he  would  not  respect 
her.  "  Now,"  adds  Mr.  P.  "  by  some  unexpected  turn 
of  fortune,  let  this  same  servant  become  possessed  of 
wealth,  and  let  her  marry  a  peer  of  the  land,  and  be  on 
terms  of  social  intercourse  and  equality  with  her  former 
master,  and  then  he  will  begin  to  respect  her"  So,  he  con- 
tinued, it  is  with  the  black  man.  Let  him  go  to  Africa,  and 
let  us  think  of  him  as  associated  with  that  country,  and 
we  shall  begin  to  respect  him.  And  he  said  he  once 
actually  knew  a  slave,  who  went  to  Africa  with  the  name 
of  Dick, — breathed  the  salubrious  air  of  that  climate,  cast 
his  slough,  and  came  back  Mr.  Jones.  "  Now,"  says 
Mr.  P.,  "  this  prejudice  may  be  wrong,  but  so  it  is,  and 
we  must  act  on  it."  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Peck,  who 
charged  the  Abolitionists  as  being  amalgamators,  and  of 
using  abusive  and  unwarrantable  epithets  in  regard  to 
slaveholders,  together  with  all  those  other  charges  so 
frequently  preferred  against  them. 

On  Thursday  the  26th  of  October  the  state  Conven- 
tion met.  Attention  to  this  subject  had  been  invited  in 
an  editorial  article  in  the  "  Observer"  of  the  29th  of  June, 
which  has  already  been  inserted. 

The  Editor  of  the  "  Observer"  was  not  the  first 
mover  in  this  matter.  He  had  received  several  letters 


264  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

from  aged  and  judicious  friends,  suggesting  the  propriety 
of  such  a  movement,  and  asking  whether  it  was  not 
time  to  make  it.  Some  of  these  letters  were  received  as 
early  as  the  preceding  spring.  The  first  call,  as  has 
been  seen,  was  definite  and  specific.  Subsequently,  in 
order  to  unite  all  good  men,  among  whom  there  was 
some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  measures,  a  somewhat 
modified  call  was  sent  forth  on  an  extra  sheet  of  the 
"  Observer."  This  call  spoke  of  the  importance  of  the 
subject  of  Slavery,  the  impossibility  of  remaining  idle 
spectators  in  a  moral  contest  which  was  agitating  our 
country,  and  requesting  those  who  "  earnestly  longed, 
and  prayed  for  the  immediate  abolition  of  Slavery"  to 
meet  in  Convention,  for  the  benefit  of  mutual  discussion 
and  deliberation  ;  not  feeling  themselves  pledged  there- 
by, to  any  definite  mode  of  action.  This  was  the  sub- 
stance of  the  call.  It  was  signed  by  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  persons  from  different  parts  of  the  state. 

The  delegates  having  convened  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Upper  Alton,  were  called  to  order,  and  the 
venerable  Dr.  Blackburn  chosen  Chairman.  When  the 
motion  for  Rev.  Mr.  Graves  to  be  temporary  clerk,  was 
put,  several  voices  cried  out  "  no."  These  were  from 
individuals  who  came  in  to  disturb,  and  if  possible  to  in- 
terrupt the  doings  of  the  Convention.  Although  the 
regular  members  of  the  Convention,  at  this  time,  out- 
numbered the  others,  the  Chair  not  knowing  the  exact 
state  of  things,  did  not  declare  the  vote  in  the  affirma- 
tive. After  this  a  desultory,  and  to  some  extent  an  an- 
gry and  disorderly  debate  took  place,  which  continued 
all  the  afternoon.  At  the  commencement  of  the  disturb- 
ance, the  Editor  of  the  "  Observer"  arose,  stating  the 
object  for  which  they  had  met  ;  that  individuals  from 
various  parts  of  the  state  had  come  there,  having  been 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  265 

invited  so  to  do,  to  discuss  the  subject  of  Slavery,  and 
declaring  that  none,  save  those  who  entertained  similar 
views  to  those  embodied  in  the  call,  had  any  right  to  a 
seat  in  the  Convention  ;  asking  them  whether  they  could 
as  gentlemen,  come  in  and  interrupt  a  meeting  called  for 
a  specific  purpose.  Upon  this,  the  reading  of  the  call 
sent  forth  by  himself,  and  also  a  subsequent  one  publish- 
ed by  president  Beecher,  over  his  own  name  in  one  of 
the  papers  of  that  place,  was  called  for.* 

When  these  calls  had  been  read,  the  mob,  through 
their  chief  speaker,  declared  that  they  responded  to 
them,  that  they  were  friends  of  free  discussion,  nay 
courted  it, — that  they  wished  to  meet  the  Abolitionists  in 
fair  and  open  field,  argument  with  argument,  fact  with 
fact,  reason  with  reason.  All  this  seemed  very  fair  : 
but  mark  the  sequel.  The  afternoon  of  that  day,  Thurs- 
day, having  been  spent  in  this  manner,  they  adjourned, 
without  even  organizing  the  meeting,  to  nine  o'clock  next 
morning.  They  met  according  to  adjournment.  The 
chairman  then  declared  the  doings  of  the  meeting  on 
the  previous  day  as  out  of  order,  read  the  call  to  which 
two  hundred  and  fifty  names  were  attached,  and  de- 
clared that  the  test  of  membership,  and  that  all  who 
would  subscribe  to  it  should  be  considered  as  members 
of  the  Convention.  Individuals  present  who  wished, 
then  signed  their  names,  including  not  a  few  who  were 
known  to  be  opposed  to  immediate  abolition.  The  Con- 


*  It  will  be  proper  to  mention  here,  that  Mr.  B.'s  name  was  attached 
to  the  first  call,  but  that,  as  he  stated  in  his  note  alluded  to,  it  did 
not  combine  all  the  points  which  he  expected  it  would,  and  especially 
as  to  the  invitation,  which  he  wished  extended  to  all  friends  of  the 
free  discussion  of  the  subject  of  Slavery  ;  to  this  there  was  no  ob- 
jection, save  that  it  was  feared  that  the  mob  taking  advantage  of  this 
invitation  would  come  in  and  claim  seats. 
23 


266  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

vention  was  then  organized  by  the  election  of  Dr.  Black- 
burn for  president,  together  with  two  secretaries.  The 
forenoon  was  spent  in  organizing  and  adopting  rules  oi 
debate,  and  appointing  a  committee  of  three  to  prepare 
resolutions  for  discussion.  This  committee  consisted  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Beecher,  Rev.  Mr.  Turner,  and  Mr.  Linder 
who  were  to  report  in  the  afternoon. 

It  was  agreed  in  the  committee  room  that  there  should 
be  but  one  report,  although  they  were  not  agreed  on  all 
the  resolutions  ;  and  that  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
should  state  to  the  Convention,  the  resolutions  on  which 
they  all  agreed,  and  those  which  the  majority  and  minor- 
ity severally  reported.  This  he  did,  and  the  report  was 
accepted.  The  question  was  on  its  adoption.  A  motion 
was  then  made,  which  in  reality  divided  the  reports, 
namely,  that  the  report  of  the  minority,  Mr.  Linder,  re- 
presenting the  And- Abolition  part  of  the  house,  should 
be  adopted.  This  vote  was  carried.  A  motion  was 
then  made  that  the  report  of  the  majority  be  also  adopted. 
On  this  motion,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hogan  contended,  that,  by 
adopting  the  minority's  report,  they  had  virtually  re- 
jected that  of  the  majority,  and  it  was  so  decided.  One 
of  the  resolutions  was  then  discussed  through  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day,  and  carried.  It  should  be  men- 
tioned that  throughout  the  whole  day,  runners  had  been 
on  the  alert  to  obtain  signers  to  the  call.  A  great  many 
had  thus  become  members  of  the  Convention,  who  had 
no  definite  notion  what  they  were  about.  In  fact,  as 
their  conduct  imported,  they  were  "  certain  lewd  fellows 
of  the  baser  sort,  men  of  Belial."  With  these  the  open 
space  around  the  door,  and  a  part  of  the  aisles  were 
crowded.  So  that  after  the  adoption  of  the  one  resolu- 
tion which  had  been  discussed,  a  motion  was  made  to 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  267 

adjourn  without  day,  which  was  carried  by  acclamation ! 
This  was  the  free  discussion  which  they  desired  ! 

Thus  baffled,  those  who  had  come  there  in  good  faith, 
agreed  to  meet  the  next  day  at  a  private  house,  to  form  a 
State  Anti-Slavery  Society,  no  doubt  now  existing  as  to 
the  propriety  of  such  a  measure.  This  they  did.  This 
meeting  was  composed  of  some  of  the  most  pious,  and 
respected,  and  judicious  men,  ministers  and  laymen,  in 
the  state.  And  here  the  question  whether  the  "  Obser- 
ver" should  be  re-established  at  Alton  or  not,  was  fully 
discussed.  Dr.  Miles,  a  gentleman  from  Cincinnati, 
said  that  it  was  all  important  that  it  should  maintain  its 
stand  there  ;  otherwise,  he  feared  that  the  tide  of  vio- 
lence and  outrage,  which  had  flowed  from  the  East, 
would  again  flow  back  ;  and  it  was  decided  that  it  ought 
to  remain  at  that  place.  This  vote  was  unanimous,  with 
the  exception  of  one  or  two  from  Alton,  who  thought  that 
it  could  not  be  maintained  there.  The  Editor  voted  for 
its  continuance ;  and  it  is  proper  to  state  that  he  was 
chosen  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  State  Society. 

The  next  week  another  colonization  meeting  was  held, 
in  the  Lower  Town,  at  which  much  the  same  doctrines 
were  advanced  as  at  the  previous  one,  and  by  the  same 
speakers.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Parker  declared  it  an  un- 
christian thing  to  go  into  a  community  and  promulgate 
doctrines  which  were  calculated  to  excite  that  commu- 
nity, and  that  he  should  consider  it  his  duty  to  refrain 
from  speaking  on  any  subject  calculated  to  disturb,  and 
agitate  a  people.  This  was  on  the  last  day  of  October. 
During  this  week  several  meetings  of  friends  were  held, 
at  one  of  which  President  Beecher  discussed,  with  much 
ability  the  propriety  and  duty  of  defending  the  press, 
which  was  now  daily  expected,  by  physical  force.  This 
is  not  the  place  for  his  arguments.  He  declared,  how- 


288  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

ever,  that  he  would  enlist  as  a  common  soldier  in  de- 
fence of  the  law,  and  in  protection  of  the  press  :  and 
some  who  had  been  inclined  toward  the  extreme  "peace 
principles,"  as  they  are  called,  were  convinced  that  there 
is,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  such  a  thing  as  civil  govern- 
ment ;  and  that  the  "  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of 
God,"  and  consequently  they  became  willing  to  maintain 
them. 

On  the  3d  and  3d  of  November,  meetings  were  held, 
which  in  their  results  and  influence  assume  an  import- 
ance and  interest  which  otherwise  would  not  belong  to 
them.  They  may  with  propriety  be  considered  the  star 
chamber,  where  the  death  warrant  of  our  brother  was 
signed,  and  put  into  the  hands  of  the  mob  for  its  execution. 
It  was  not  a  meeting  of  the  rabble.  Christians,  and  Chris- 
tian ministers  were  there.  Men  who  stand  high  in  the  es- 
timation of  their  fellow-citizens,  and  in  many  respects  de- 
servedly so.  Had  they  planted  themselves  on  the  law 
and  the  right,  the  "  damned  spots"  which  now  stain  their 
hands,  and  will  not  "  out"  had  not  been  there. 

But  we  give  the  proceedings,  merely  premising  that 
the  meeting  originated  with  the  enemies  of  the  "  Obser- 
ver," though  some  of  its  friends  were  invited  to  attend. 

PUBLIC  MEETING. 

"  AT  a  large  and  respectable  meeting  of  the  citizens  of 
the  city  of  Alton,  held  at  the  counting-room  of  Messrs. 
John  Hogan  &  Co.,  on  Thursday  afternoon,  Nov.  2d, 
1837  ;  Samuel  G.  Bailey,  Esq.  was  called  to  the  chair, 
and  William  F.  D'Wolf  appointed  secretary. 

Mr.  Hogan  then  announced  the  object  of  the  meeting 
to  be,  to  take  into  consideration  the  present  excited 
state  of  public  sentiment  in  this  city,  growing  out  of  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  269 

discussion  of  the  Abolition  question  ;  and  to  endeavour 
to  find  some  common  ground,  on  which  both  parties 
might  meet  for  the  restoration  of  harmony  and  good  fel- 
lowship by  mutual  concession — expressing  a  fervent  wish 
that  so  desirable  an  object  might  be  carried  into  effect. 

He  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Beecher,  of 
Jacksonville,  who  stated  that  the  proposal  of  such  a 
meeting  had  originated  from  Mr.  Hogan,  and  that  it  had 
been  deemed  advisable  by  him  and  by  Mr.  Oilman,  that 
the  following  resolutions,  should  be  laid  before  the  meet- 
ing for  their  consideration. 

1 .  Resolved,  That  the  free  communication  of  thoughts 
and  opinions,  is  one  of  the  invaluable  rights  of  man  ;  and 
that  every  citizen  may  freely  speak,  write,  and  print  on 
any  subject,  being  responsible  for  the  abuse'of  that  liberty. 

2.  Resolved,  That   the  abuse  of  this  right  is  the  only 
legal  ground  for  restraining  its  use. 

3.  Resolved,  That  the  question  of  abuse  must  be  de- 
cided solely  by  a  regular  civil  court,  and  in  accordance 
with  the  law  ;  and  not  by  an  irresponsible  and  unorgani- 
zed portion  of  the  community,  be  it  great  or  small. 

4.  Resolved,  For  restraining   what  the   law  will  not 
reach,  we  are  to  depend  solely  on  argument  and  moral 
means,  aided  by  the  controling  influences  of  the  spirit  of 
God  ;  and  that  these  means,  appropriately  used,  furnish 
an  ample  defence  against  all  ultimate  prevalence  of  false 
principles  and  unhealthy  excitement. 

5.  Resolved,  That  where  discussion  is  free  and  unre- 
strained, and  proper  means  are  used,  the  triumph  of  the 
truth  is  certain  ;  and  that  with  the  triumph  of  truth  the 
return  of  peace  is  sure  ;   but  that  all  attempts  to  check  or 
prohibit  discussion,  will  cause  a  daily  increase  of  excite- 
ment, until  such  checks  or  prohibitions  are  removed. 

6.  Resolved,  That  our  maintenance  of  these  principles 

23* 


270  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

should  be  independent  of  all  regard  to  persons  or  senti- 
ments. 

7.  Resolved,  That  we  are  more  especially  called  on 
to  maintain  them  in  case  of  unpopular  sentiments  or  per- 
sons ;  as  in  no  other  cases  will  any  effort  to  maintain 
them  be  needed. 

8.  Resolved,  That  these  principles  demand  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Editor  and  of  the  press  of  the  '  Alton  Ob- 
server,'  on  grounds  of  principle  solely,   and  altogether 
disconnected  with  approbation  of  his  sentiments,  personal 
character,  or  course,  as  Editor  of  the  paper. 

9.  Resolved,  That  on  these  grounds  alone,  and  irres- 
pective of  all  political,  moral,  or  religious  differences, 
but  solely  as  American  citizens,  from  a  sacred  regard  to 
the  great  principles  of  civil  society,  to  the  welfare  of  our 
country,  to  the  reputation  and  honour  of  our  city,  to  our 
own    dearest  rights  and   privileges,    and   those   of  our 
children,  we  will  protect  the  press,  the  property,  and  the 
Editor  of  the  '  Alton  Observer,'  and  maintain  him  in  the 
free  exercise  of  his  rights,  to  print  and  publish  whatever 
he  pleases,  in    obedience    to  the  supreme    laws  of  the 
land,  and  under  the  guidance  and  direction  of  the  consti- 
tuted civil  authorities,  he  being  responsible  for  the  abuse 
of  this  liberty  only  to  the  laws  of  the  land." 

The  meeting  was  then  addressed  at  some  length  by 
Mr.  Linder,  in  opposition  to  the  resolutions  ;  after  which 
Mr.  Hayden  moved  that  the  resolutions  be  laid  on  the 
table.  At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Hogan  and  Col.  Botkin, 
this  motion  was  subsequently  withdrawn  by  the  mover  ; 
when  Mr.  Hogan  moved  that  the  resolutions  be  referred 
to  a  committee,  with  instructions  to  report  at  an  adjourned 
meeting.  This  motion  was  agreed  to ;  and,'it  being  or- 
dered that  said  committee  should  consist  of  seven  gentle- 
men, to  be  nominated  by  the  chair,  the  Hon.  Cyrus 


REV.  R.  P-  f.OVEJOY.  271 

Edwards,  and  Messrs.  John  Hogan,  Stephen  Griggs,  U. 
F.  Linder,  H.  G.  Van  Wagenen,  Thos.  G.  Hawley,  and 
Winthrop  S.  Gilman,  were  appointed. 

Mr.  Linder  then  offered  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  agreed  to  : 

Resolved,  unanimously,  by  this  meeting,  That  in  the 
interim  between  the  adjournment  and  re-assembling 
hereof,  if  any  infraction  of  the  peace  be  attempted  by 
any  party  or  set  of  men  in  this  community,  we  will  aid  to 
the  utmost  of  our  power  in  the  maintenance  of  the  laws." 

The  meeting  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  court  room, 
on  Friday  the  3d  inst.,  at  two  o'clock,  P.  M. 

Friday,  Nov.  3d, — 2  o'clock,  P.  M. 

"  The  citizens  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment :  and  the 
meeting  being  called  to  order  by  the  chairman,  Mr. 
Linder  offered  the  following  resolution,  which  was  unan- 
imously agreed  to  without  debate  : — 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  shall  be  composed  exclu- 
sively of  the  citizens  of  Madison  County  ;  and  that  it  is 
requested  that  none  others  shall  vote  or  take  part  in  the 
discussion  of  any  subject  that  may  be  offered  for  their 
consideration  ;  but  all  persons  in  attendance,  other  than 
citizens,  will  consider  themselves  as  welcome  specta- 
tors.* 

The  Hon.  Cyrus  Edwards,  from  the  committee  ap- 
pointed at  the  previous  meeting,  then  made  the  following 
report ;  which  was  read  : 

'  The  committee  appointed  to  take  under  consideration 
certain  resolutions  submitted  at  our  last  meeting,  beg 
leave  to  report :  that  they  aave  given  to  those  resolu- 
tions a  deliberate  and  candid  examination,  and  are  con- 

*  Mr.  Beecher  resides  in  Morgan  County.  Hence  the  resolution. — Eds. 


372  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

strained  to  say  that,  however  they  may  approve  their 
general  spirit,  they  do  not  consider  them,  as  a  whole, 
suited  to  the  exigency  which  has  called  together  the 
citizens  of  Alton.  It  is  notorious,  that  fearful  excite- 
ments have  grown  out  of  collisions  of  sentiment  between 
two  great  parties  on  the  subject,  and  that  these  excite- 
ments have  led  to  excesses  on  both  sides  deeply  to  be 
deplored.  Too  much  of  crimination  and  recrimination 
have  been  indulged.  On  the  one  hand,  the  Anti- Aboli- 
tionists have  been  charged  with  a  heartless  cruelty,  a 
reckless  disregard  of  the  rights  of  man,  and  an  insidious 
design,  under  deceptive  pretexts,  to  perpetuate  the  foul 
stain  of  Slavery.  They  have  been  loaded  with  many 
and  most  opprobrious  epithets,  such  as  pirates,  man- 
stealers,  &c.  &c.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Abolitionists 
have  been  too  indiscriminately  denounced  as  violent  dis- 
turbers of-  the  good  order  of  society,  willfully  incendiary 
and  disorganizing  in  their  spirit,  wickedly  prompting 
servile  insurrections,  and  traitorously  encouraging  in- 
fractions of  the  constitution,  tending  to  disunion,  violence 
and  bloodshed.  These  uncharitable  impeachments  ot 
motives  have  led  to  an  appalling  crisis,  demanding  of 
every  good  citizen  the  exertion  of  his  utmost  influence 
to  arrest  all  acts  of  violence,  and  to  restore  harmony  to 
our  once  peaceful  and  prosperous,  but  now  distracted 
city.  It  is  not  to  be  disguised,  that  parties  are  now  or- 
ganizing and  arming  for  a  conflict,  which  may  terminate 
in  a  train  of  mournful  consequences.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances, have  we  been  convened.  And  your  com- 
mittee are  satisfied  that  nothing  short  of  a  generous  for- 
bearance, a  mild  spirit  of  conciliation,  and  a  yielding 
compromise  of  conflicting  claims,  can  compose  the  ele- 
ments of  discord,  and  restore  quiet  to  this  agitated  com- 
munity. They  are,  therefore,  forced  to  regard  the  reso- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  273 

lutions  under  consideration  as  falling  short  of  the  great 
end  in  view  ;  as  demanding  too  much  of  concession  on 
the  one  side,  without  equivalent  concession  on  the  other. 
Neither  party  can  be  expected  to  yield  every  thing,  and 
to  acknowledge  themselves  exclusively  in  the  wrong.  In 
this  there  is  no  compromise.  There  must  be  a  mutual 
sacrifice  of  prejudices,  opinions,  and  interests,  to  ac- 
complish the  desired  reconciliation — such  a  sacrifice 
as  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  great  charter  of  Ameri- 
can freedom  ;  which  has  secured  to  ourselves,  and 
which  promises  a  continuance  to  our  posterity,  of  the 
blessed  fruits  of  peace,  prosperity  and  union.  Whilst, 
therefore,  we  fully  and  freely  recognize  the  justness  of 
the  principles  engrafted  upon  our  constitutions,  that  the 
free  communication  of  thoughts  and  opinions  is  one  of 
the  invaluable  rights  of  man,  and  that  every  citizen  may 
freely  speak,  write,  and  print  on  any  subject,  being  re- 
sponsible for  the  abuse  of  that  liberty  ;  that  the  abuse  of'- 
this  right  is  the  only  legal  ground  for  restraining  its  use  ; 
that  the  question  of  abuse  must  be  decided  solely  by  a 
regular  civil  court,  and  in  accordance  with  the  law,  and 
not  by  an  irresponsible  and  unorganized  portion  of  the 
community,  be  it  great  or  small —  your  committee  would, 
with  earnest  importunity,  urge  as  a  means  of  allaying 
the  acrimony  of  party  strife,  the  unanimous  adoption  of 
the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  : 

Whereas,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  peace, 
harmony,  order,  and  a  due  regard  to  law,  should  be  re- 
stored to  our  distracted  community  ;  and  whereas,  in  all 
cases  of  conflicting  opinions  about  rights  and  privileges, 
each  party  should  yield  something  in  the  spirit  and  form 
of  compromise  :  Therefore, 

1 .  Resolved,  That  a  strong  confidence  is  entertained 
that  our  citizens  will  abstain  from  all  undue  excitements, 


274  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

discountenance  every  act  of  violence  to  person  or  pro- 
perty, and  cherish  a  sacred  regard  for  the  great  principles 
contained  in  our  Bill  of  Rights. 

2.  Resolved,  That  it  is  apparent  to  all  good  citizens, 
that  the  exigencies  of  the  place  require  a  course  of  mode- 
ration in  relation  to  the  discussion  of  principles  in  them- 
selves deemed  right,  and  of  the  highest  importance  ;  and 
that  it  is  no  less  a  dictate  of  duty  than  expediency  to 
adopt  such  a  course  in  the  present  crisis. 

3.  Resolved,    That   so   far   as  your  committee   have 
possessed  the  means  of  ascertaining  the  sense  of  the 
community,  in  relation  to  the  establishment  of  a  religious 
newspaper,  such  a  course  would,  at  a  suitable  time,  and 
under  the  influence  of  judicious  proprietors  and  editors, 
contribute  to  the  cause  of  religion  and  good  citizenship, 
and  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  city  and  country. 

4.  Resolved,  That  while  there  appears  to  be  no  dis- 
position to  prevent  the  liberty  of  free  discussion,  through 
the  medium  of  the  press  or  otherwise,  as  a  general  thing  ; 
it  is  deemed  a  matter  indispensable  to  the  peace  and 
harmony  of  this  community  that  the  labours  and  influence 
of  the  late  Editor  of  the  '  Observer'  be  no  longer  iden- 
tified with  any  newspaper  establishment  in  this  city. 

5.  Resolved,  That  whereas  it  has  come  to  the  know- 
ledge of  your  committee  that  the  late  Editor  of  the  '  Ob- 
server' has  voluntarily  proposed  to  the  proprietors  and 
stockholders  of  the  '  Alton  Observer,'  to  relinquish  his 
interest  and  connection  with  that  paper,  if,  in  the  opinion 
of  his  friends,  that  course  were   expedient ;  your  com- 
mittee consider  that  such   a  course   would  highly  con- 
tribute to  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  place,  and  indi- 
cate on  the  part  of  the  friends  of  the    '  Observer,  a  dis- 
position to  do  all  in  their  power  to  restore  the  city  to  its 
accustomed  harmony  and  quiet. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  275 

6.  Resolved,  That  we  would  not  be  understood  as 
reflecting  in  the  slightest  degree  upon  the  private  charac- 
ter or  motives  of  the  late  Editor  of  the  '  Alton  Obser- 
ver,' by  any  thing  contained  in  the  foregoing  resolutions." 

Mr.  Linder  then  took  the  floor,  in  support  and  expla- 
nation of  the  views  taken  by  the  committee,  and  urged 
the  adoption  of  the  resolutions  reported  by  them  with 
much  earnestness.  When  he  closed  his  remarks,  Win- 
throp  S.  Gilman,  Esq.,  one  of  the  committee,  handed  the 
following  protest  against  some  of  the  sentiments  express- 
ed in  the  report ;  which  he  desired  should  be  made  a 
part  of  the  record  of  the  meeting. 

W.  S.  Gilman,  from  the  committee,  protested  against 
so  much  of  the  report  as  is  contained  in  the  resolutions ; 
idledging  it  as  his  opinion,  that  the  rigid  enforcement  of 
vhe  law  would  prove  the  only  sure  protection  of  the  rights 
of  citizens,  and  the  only  safe  remedy  for  similar  excite- 
ments in  future. 

The  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  Editor  of  the  '  Observer,' 
here  addressed  the  meeting  at  some  length,  in  a  speech 
declaratory  of  his  right,  under  the  Constitution  of  this 
state,  to  print  and  publish  his  opinions,  and  of  his  deter- 
mination to  stand  on  this  right,  and  abide  the  conse- 
quences, under  a  solemn  sense  of  duty. 

He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Hogan,  who  took  a  wholly 
different  view  of  the  subject ;  and  contended  that  it  was 
the  duty  of  Mr.  Lovejoy,  as  a  Christian  and  patriot,  to 
abstain  from  the  exercise  of  some  of  his  abstract  rights 
under  existing  circumstances.  In  the  course  of  his  re- 
marks, the  former  referred  to  the  pledge  said  to  have 
been  publicly  given  by  the  latter,  when  he  first  came  to 
Alton  ;  and  observed,  that  at  that  time  he  most  certainly 
did  understand  Mr.  L.  to  say,  that,  inasmuch  as  he  had 
left  a  slaveholding  state,  and  had  come  to  reside  in  a  free 


^76  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

state,  he  did  not  conceive  it  his  duty  to  advocate  the 
cause  of  emancipation,  and  did  not  intend  doing  so. 

The  Rev.  F.  W.  Graves  then  rose  in  explanation  ; 
and  asked  Mr.  Hogan  whether  Mr.  Lovejoy  did  not,  at 
the  time  referred  to,  distinctly  state  that  he  yielded  none 
of  his  rights,  to  discuss  any  subject  which  he  saw  fit. 
Mr.  Hogan  replying  in  the  affirmative,  Mr.  G .  proceeded 
to  remark,  that  when  Mr.  L.  arrived  in  this  city,  he  en- 
tertained the  views  attributed  to  him  by  the  gentleman 
who  had  just  taken  his  seat ;  that  a  change  had  subse- 
quently taken  place  in  his  opinions ;  and  that,  at  a  cer- 
tain meeting  of  the  friends  of  the  '  Observer,'  he  (Mr.  L.) 
had  made  known  this  alteration  in  his  sentiments,  and 
asked  advice  whether  it  was  best  to  come  out  in  public 
on  the  subject.  That,  under  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  it  was  deemed  most  proper  to  let  the  paper  go  on 
— there  then  being  no  excitement  in  the  public  mind. 
Mr.  G.  next  alluded  to  the  present  excited  state  of  the 
popular  feeling  ;  and  said  that  the  friends  of  the  '  Ob- 
server' had  lately  received  communications  from  all  parts 
of  the  country,  and  even  from  Kentucky,  Missouri,  and 
Mississippi,  urging  the  necessity  of  re-establishing  the 
press. 

Mr.  Linder  followed  in  reply  ;  and  said  he  now  un- 
derstood the  whole  matter.  It  was  a  question,  whether 
the  interest  and  feelings  of  the  citizens  of  Alton  should 
be  consulted  ;  or  whether  we  were  to  be  dictated  to  by 
foreigners,  who  cared  nothing  but  for  the  gratification  of 
their  own  inclinations,  and  the  establishment  of  certain 
abstract  principles,  which  no  one,  as  a  general  thing, 
ever  thought  of  questioning.  He  concluded  his  remarks 
by  offering  the  following  resolution. 

Resolved,  That  the  discussion  of  the  doctrines  of  im- 
mediate Abolitionism,  as  they  have  been  discussed  in  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  277 

columns  of  the  '  Alton  Observer,'  would  be  destructive 
of  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  citizens  of  Alton,  and 
that,  therefore,  we  cannot  recommend  the  re-establish- 
ment of  that  paper,  or  any  other  of  a  similar  character, 
and  conducted  with  a  like  spirit. 

The  resolution  having  been  read,  Mr.  Edwards  rose, 
and  expressed  the  hope  that  its  adoption  would  not  be 
pressed  at  this  moment.  He  dwelt  with  great  earnest- 
ness and  effect  on  the  importance  of  calmness  in  our  de- 
liberations ;  and  trusted  that  the  present  meeting  would 
be  productive  of  good  to  the  community.  The  resolution 
was  then  laid  on  the  table. 

Judge  Hawley  then  made  a  few  very  eloquent  and  ap- 
propriate remarks,  on  the  subject  for  which  this  meeting 
had  been  called  :  and  concluded  by  offering  the  follow- 
ing preamble  and  resolution  ;  which  were  read,  and  laid 
on  the  table  for  the  present. 

Whereas,  great  and  general  excitement  has  for  some 
time  past  prevailed  with  the  people  of  the  city  of  Alton, 
in  relation  to  the  publication  of  the  doctrines  of  Aboli- 
tion, as  promulgated  by  Mr.  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  in  a  paper 
called  the  '  Alton  Observer ;'  and  whereas,  as  a  conse- 
quence of  that  excitement,  personal  violence  has  been 
resorted  to  in  the  destruction  of  said  press  :  Therefore. 

Resolved,  That  whilst  we  decidedly  disapprove  of  the 
doctrines,  as  put  forth  by  the  said  Lovejoy,  as  subversive 
of  the  great  principles  of  our  union,  and  of  the  prosperity 
of  our  young  and  growing  city,  we  at  the  same  time  as 
decidedly  disapprove  of  all  unlawful  violence. 

The  question  on  agreeing  to  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee was  then  called  for  ;  and,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Ho- 
gan,  the  resolutions  being  taken  up  separately,  were  seve- 
rally disposed  of  as  follows  :  resolutions  1,  2,  and  4,  were 
agreed  to  unanimously  ;  and  resolutions  3,  5,  and  6,  were 
24 


278  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

stricken  out.     The  report,  as  amended,  was  then  agreed 
to. 

The  resolution  offered  by  Mr.  Linder,  and  laid  on  the 
table,  was  then  taken  up,  and  agreed  to ;  as  was  also 
that  subsequently  introduced  by  Judge  Hawley,  after 
striking  out  the  preamble  from  the  latter. 

Mr.  Krum  then  offered  the  following  resolution  ;  which 
was  also  agreed  to. 

Resolved,  That  as  citizens  of  Alton,  and  the  friends  of 
order,  peace,  and  constitutional  law,  we  regret  that  per- 
sons and  editors  from  abroad  have  seen  proper  to  interest 
themselves  so  conspicuously  in  the  discussion  and  agita- 
tion of  a  question,  in  which  our  city  is  made  the  princi- 
pal theatre." 

The  meeting  then  adjourned,  sine  die. 

SAM'L  G.  BAILEY,  Chairman. 

W.  F.  D'WoLF,  Secretary. 

/These  proceedings  speak  for  themselves.  Some  of 
the  speeches  were  of  a  most  violent  kind,  attacking  not 
only  Abolition,  but  religion  and  its  ministers.  It  will  be 
seen  that  by  rejecting  the  third  resolution,  they  virtually 
declared  that  no  religious  paper  would  be  tolerated,  al- 
though under  the  management  of  "judicious  proprietors 
and  editors,"  and  started  at  a  "  proper  time." 

The  remarks  of  our  brother  referred  to  in  the  doings 
of  the  meeting,  were  as  follows, 

Having  obtained  the  floor,  he  went  to  the  desk  in  front 
of  the  assembly,  and  said  : 

"  Mr.  Chairman — it  is  not  true,  as  has  been  charged 
upon  me,  that  I  hold  in  contempt  the  feelings  and  senti- 
ments of  this  community,  in  reference  to  the  question 
which  is  now  agitating  it.  I  respect  and  appreciate  the 
feelings  and  opinions  of  my  fellow-citizens,  and  it  is  one 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  279 

of  the  most  painful  and  unpleasant  duties  of  my  life,  that 
I  am  called  upon  to  act  in  opposition  to  them.  If  you 
suppose,  sir,  that  I  have  published  sentiments  contrary 
to  those  generally  held  in  this  community,  because  I  de- 
lighted in  differing  from  them,  or  in  occasioning  a  dis- 
turbance, you  have  entirely  misapprehended  me.  But, 
sir,  while  I  value  the  good  opinion  of  my  fellow-citizens, 
as  highly  as  any  one,  I  may  be  permitted  to  say,  that  I 
am  governed  by  higher  considerations  than  either  the 
favour  or  the  fear  of  man.  I  am  impelled  to  the  course 
I  have  taken,  because  I  fear  God.  As  I  shall  answer  it 
to  my  God  in  the  great  day,  I  dare  not  abandon  my  sen- 
timents, or  cease  in  all  proper  ways  to  propagate  them. 

"  I,  Mr.  Chairman,  have  not  desired,  or  asked  any 
compromise.  I  have  asked  for  nothing  but  to  be  pro- 
tected in  my  rights  as  a  citizen — rights  which  God  has 
given  me,  and  which  are  guaranteed  to  me  by  the  con- 
stitution of  my  country.  Have  I,  sir,  been  guilty  of  any 
infraction  of  the  laws  ?  Whose  good  name  have  I  in- 
jured ?  When  and  where  have  I  published  any  thing 
injurious  to  the  reputation  of  Alton  ?  Have  I  not,  on  the 
other  hand,  laboured,  in  common,  with  the  rest  of  my 
fellow-citizens,  to  promote  the  reputation  and  interests  of 
this  city  ?  What,  sir,  I  ask,  has  been  my  offence  ?  Put 
your  finger  upon  it — define  it — and  I  stand  ready  to  an- 
swer for  it.  If  I  have  committed  any  crime,  you  can  easily 
convict  me.  You  have  public  sentiment  in  your  favour. 
You  have  your  juries,  and  you  have  your  attorney,  (look- 
ing at  the  Attorney-General,)  and  I  have  no  doubt  you 
can  convict  me.  But  if  I  have  been  guilty  of  no  viola- 
tion of  law,  why  am  I  hunted  up  and  down  continually 
like  a  partridge  upon  the  mountains  ?  Why  am  I  threat- 
ened with  the  tar-barrel?  Why  am  I  waylaid  every 


280  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

day,  and  from  night  to  night,  and  ray  life  in  jeopardy 
every  hour  ? 

"  You  have,  sir,  made  up,  as  the  lawyers  say,  a  false 
issue  ;  there  are  not  two  parties  between  whom  there 
can  be  a  compromise.  I  plant  myself,  sir,  down  on  my 
unquestionable  rights,  and  the  question  to  be  decided  is, 
whether  I  shall  be  protected  in  the  exercise,  and  enjoy- 
ment of  those  rights — that  is  the  question,  sir ; — whether 
my  property  shall  be  protected,  whether  I  shall  be  suf- 
fered to  go  home  to  my  family  at  night  without  being 
assailed,  and  threatened  with  tar  and  feathers,  and  as- 
sassination ;  whether  my  afflicted  wife,  whose  life  has 
been  in  jeopardy,  from  continued  alarm  and  excitement, 
shall  night  after  night  be  driven  from  a  sick  bed  into  the 
garret  to  save  her  life  from  the  brickbats  and  violence 
of  the  mobs  ;  that  sir,  is  the  question."  Here,  much  af- 
fected and  overcome  by  his  feelings,  he  burst  into  tears. 
Many,  not  excepting  even  his  enemies,  wept — several 
sobbed  aloud,  and  the  sympathies  of  the  whole  meeting 
were  deeply  excited.  He  continued.  "  Forgive  me, 
sir,  that  I  have  thus  betrayed  my  weakness.  It  was  the 
allusion  to  my  family  that  overcame  my  feelings.  Not, 
sir,  I  assure  you,  from  any  fears  on  my  part.  I  have  no 
personal  fears.  Not  that  I  feel  able  to  contest  the  mat- 
ter with  the  whole  community,  I  know  perfectly  well  I 
am  not.  I  know,  sir,  that  you  can  tar  and  feather  me, 
hang  me  up,  or  put  me  into  the  Mississippi,  without  the 
least  difficulty.  But  what  then  ?  Where  shall  I  go  ?  I 
have  been  made  to  feel  that  if  I  am  not  safe  at  Alton,  I 
shall  not  be  safe  any  where.  I  recently  visited  St. 
Charles  to  bring  home  my  family,  and  was  torn  from 
their  frantic  embrace  by  a  mob.  I  have  been  beset  night 
and  day  at  Alton.  And  now  if  I  leave  here  and  go  else- 
where, violence  may  overtake  me  in  my  retreat,  and  I 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOT.  281 

nave  no  more  claim  upon  the  protection  of  any  other  com- 
munity than  I  have  upon  this  ;  and  I  have  concluded,  after 
consultation  with  my  friends,  and  earnestly  seeking 
counsel  of  God,  to  remain  at  Alton,  and  here  to  insist  on 
protection  in  the  exercise  of  my  rights.  If  the  civil  au- 
thorities refuse  to  protect  me,  I  must  look  to  God  ;  and 
if  I  die,  I  have  determined  to  make  my  grave  in  Alton." 

A  writer  who  was  present,  after  giving  the  substance 
of  these  remarks,  observes  : 

"  His  manner — but  I  cannot  attempt  to  describe  it.  He 
was  calm  and  serious,  but  firm  and  decided.  Not  an  epi- 
thet or  unkind  allusion  escaped  his  lips,  notwithstanding 
he  knew  he  was  in  the  midst  of  those  who  were  seeking 
his  blood,  and  notwithstanding  he  was  well  aware  of  the 
influence  that  that  meeting,  if  it  should  not  take  the  right 
turn,  would  have  in  infuriating  the  mob  to  do  their  work. 
He  and  his  friends  had  prayed  earnestly  that  God  would 
overrule  the  deliberations  of  that  meeting  for  good.  He 
had  been  all  day  communing  with  God.  His  counte- 
nance, the  subdued  tones  of  his  voice,  and  whole  ap- 
pearance indicated  a  mind  in  a  peculiarly  heavenly  frame, 
and  ready  to  acquiesce  in  the  will  of  God,  whatever  that 
might  be.  I  confess  to  you,  sir,  that  I  regarded  him  at 
the  time,  in  view  of  all  the  circumstances,  as  presenting 
a  spectacle  of  moral  sublimity,  such  as  I  had  never  be- 
fore witnessed,  and  such  as  the  world  seldom  affords.  It 
reminded  me  of  Paul  before  Festus,  and  of  Luther  at 
Worms." 

The  press  was  now  daily  expected.  Consequently 
there  was  no  little  excitement  and  anxiety.  As  soon  as 
the  puff  of  a  boat  was  heard,  the  friends  started  for  the 
landing-place  to  receive  and  protect  it.  The  mob  were 
no  less  vigilant,  and  had  declared  that  it  should  be  de- 
stroyed at  the  landing.  One  of  their  number  was  sta- 
24* 


282  MEMOIR  OF   THE 

tioned  at  St.  Louis — where  all  the  boats  touch  on  their 
way  up  the  river,  to  ascertain  when  it  arrived.  A  friend 
also  remained  there  for  about  a  week  waiting  its  arrival, 
and  prepared  to  act  in  concert  with  those  at  Alton.  An 
arrangement  was  at  one  time  made,  to  have  it  landed  at 
a  place  called  Chippewa,  about  five  miles  down  the 
river,  and  conveyed  secretly  to  Upper  Alton.  But  not 
coming  the  day  that  it  was  expected,  and  the  roads  be- 
coming bad  in  consequence  of  heavy  rains,  that  plan 
was  abandoned.  At  length  it  came  into  St.  Louis  on 
Sunday  night  the  5th,  and  by  expresses,  an  arrangement 
was  made  with  the  Captain  to  land  it  at  three  o'clock 
Monday  night,  or  rather  Tuesday  morning.  The  exact 
time  of  its  arrival  was  known  to  a  few  only,  though  that 
a  press  was  expected,  was  known  throughout  the  city. 
On  Monday  Mr.  W.  S.  Oilman  and  our  brother  went  to 
the  Mayor,  told  him  of  the  expected  arrival  of  the  press, 
and  of  the  threats  made  of  destroying  it,  which  indeed 
were  notorious  ;  and  requested  that  special  constables 
might  be  appointed  to  keep  the  peace.  This  request 
the  Mayor  communicated  to  the  Common  Council,  stating 
at  the  same  time,  that  from  the  confidence  placed  in  the 
persons  making  these  representations,  as  well  as  from 
what  he  himself  knew,  he  had  good  reason  to  believe 
that  there  would  be  some  infraction  of  the  laws,  and  sub- 
mitted to  them  whether  some  action  would  not  be  neces- 
sary. After  a  few  moments  silence,  Mr.  King,  one  of 
the  aldermen,  moved  "  that  a  note  be  addressed  to  Mr. 
Lovejoy  and  his  friends,  requesting  them  not  to  persist 
in  establishing  an  Abolition  press  in  Alton,  and  setting 
forth  the  reasons  for  the  same."  We  have  a  paper  signed 
by  the  Clerk  of  the  Common  Council  containing  the 
above,  as  an  extract  from  the  records  of  the  said  Coun- 
cil. The  phrase  "  setting  forth  the  reasons  for  the  same," 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  283 

is  obscure.  Probably  it  means  setting  forth  the  reasons 
to  "  Mr.  Lovejoy  and  his  friends  why  they  should  not 
establish  an  Abolition  press/'  The  Mayor  told  them 
that  that  vote  was  not  answering  the  proposition  which 
he  made  to  them,  and  that  consequently  he  should  not 
sign  it  if  passed.  It  was  laid  on  the  table,  and  the 
Council  adjourned,  and  nothing  more  was  done  about  it. 
On  Monday  evening  between  forty  and  fifty  citizens  met 
in  the  warehouse  of  Godfrey,  Oilman  &  Co.,  where  the 
press  was  to  be  stored,  in  order  to  form  themselves  into 
a  volunteer  company,  to  act  under  the  direction  of  the 
Mayor,  in  defence  of  the  law.  About  ten  o'clock  several 
left ;  not  far  from  thirty  remaining  in  the  building,  with 
one  of  the  city  constables  to  command  them.  They 
were  armed  with  rifles  and  muskets,  mostly  the  former, 
loaded  with  buckshot  or  small  balls.  The  Editor  of  the 
"  Observer"  was  not  there.  His  dwelling  had  been  at- 
tacked but  a  few  nights  before,  and  himself  and  sister 
narrowly  escaped  being  hit  with  a  heavy  brickbat,  suffi- 
cient to  take  life.  In  consequence  of  the  nightly  ex- 
pectation of  an  assault,  he  made  arrangements  with  a 
brother  then  with  him,  to  watch  alternately  every  other 
night,  at  home  and  at  the  store.  At  three  o'clock  the 
boat  arrived  containing  the  long  looked  for  press.  It 
was  a  light  night,  and  the  sentinel  of  the  mob  had  been 
seen,  at  intervals  all  night  on  the  shore,  who  immedi- 
ately gave  the  alarm,  and  horns  were  blown  throughout 
the  city.  As  soon  as  the  boat  was  heard,  the  Mayor 
was  called,  and  came  into  the  building.  He  requested 
those  within  to  remain  there,  and  keep  quiet,  till  called 
upon.  He  said  he  should  go  out  and  attend  the  storing 
of  the  press,  and  if  any  mob  collected  should  command 
them  to  disperse — if  they  refused,  and  offered  any  vio- 
lence, he  should  command  those  in  the  building  to  fire. 


284  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Owing,  however,  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  the  mob 
were  unable  to  muster  their  forces,  to  any  considerable 
number,  and  the  press  was  stored  without  molestation, 
except  the  firing  of  a  few  stones.  The  press  thus  safely 
deposited  in  the  garret  of  a  firm  stone  warehouse,  was 
thought  to  be  secure.  The  great  contest  was  expected 
at  the  landing,  as  it  would  be  more  difficult  to  protect  it 
there,  and  of  course  additional  advantages  would  be  af- 
forded the  mob  for  its  destruction. 

No  very  unusual  excitement  prevailed  on  Tuesday, 
though  it  was  noised  through  the  city  that  "  the  Abolition 
press"  had  arrived.  On  Tuesday  night  the  volunteers 
already  spoken  of  again  met  at  the  same  place.  At 
nine,  all  but  twelve  (one  or  two  dropped  in  afterwards) 
went  away.  Our  brother  remained,  who  with  one  or 
two  others,  was  the  only  Abolitionist  there.  They  were 
there  not  as  Abolitionists  but  as  citizens. 

And  here  it  will  be  proper  to  describe  the  building, 
so  that  the  reader  may  have  a  clear  conception  of  the 
scene.  The  Mississippi  river,  whose  general  course, 
as  is  known,  is  southerly,  at  this  point  runs  nearly 
east.  The  building  is  composed  of  two  stores,  with  two 
separate  roofs,  communicating  with  each  other  within. 
The  gable  ends  are  north  and  south — one  of  them  of 
course,  next  the  river.  All  the  windows,  and  also  all 
the  doors,  with  the  exception  of  one  which  opens  into 
the  basement  story  on  the  east  side,  are  in  the  two  gable 
ends.  It  is  three  stories  high  on  the  north  end,  and 
four  on  the  south,  the  one  next  the  river.  It  stands 
alone  ;  a  street  being  on  the  north  end,  the  river  on  the 
south,  and  several  rods  open  space  on  the  two  sides, 
so  that  it  is  accessible  on  all  points. 

About  ten  o'clock,  the  drunkeries  and  coffee-houses 
began  to  belch  forth  their  inmates,  and  a  mob  of  about 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  285 

thirty  individuals,  armed,  some  with  stones,  and  some 
with  guns  and  pistols,*  formed  themselves  into  a  line  on 


From  the  Alton  Telegraph,  January  24*A,  1838. 

*RIOT  TRIALS. 

Contrary  to  general  expectation,  the  persons  recently  indicted  for 
having  participated  in  the  fatal  riot  of  the  7th  of  November,  were  brought 
to  trial  on  Wednesday  and  Friday  of  last  week,  and  severally  acquitted 
— the  assailants  and  defendants  being  tried  on  different  days.  Our  busi 
ness  engagements  having  put  it  out  of  our  power  to  attend  in  either  case, 
we  are  indebted  for  the  following  brief  notes  of  both  trials  to  the  polite- 
ness of  two  gentlemen  present,  who  have  kindly  furnished  them  at  our  re- 
quest. 

"  On  Wednesday  last,  our  City  Court  was  occupied  from  half-past  nine 
in  the  morning  until  ten  at  night,  in  the  trial  of  the  cause  of  the  People  vs. 
Enoch  Long,  T.  B.  Hurlbut,  Wm.  Haraed,  Gca.  A.  Walworth,  A.  B.  Roff, 
Winthrop  S.  Oilman,  James  Morss,  Jr.,  George  H.  Whitney,  John  S. 
Noble,  Henry  Tanner,  Royal  Weller,  and  Reuben  Gerry,  upon  an  indict- 
ment for  a  riot  on  the  memorable  night  of  the  7th  November  last,  in  defend- 
ing a  printing  press  then  in  the  possession  of  Godfrey,  Oilman  &  Co.  The 
indictment  contained  two  counts;  one  of  which  charged  the  defendants 
with  resisting  an  attack  made  by  certain  persons  unknown,  to  destroy  a 
printing  press,  the  property  of  Godfrey  and  Gilman,  and  then  being  in 
their  possession ;  the  other  count  charged  the  defendants  with  unlawfully 
defending  a  certain  warehouse — being  the  property  of  Godfrey  and  Gil- 
man,— against  an  attempt  by  certain  persons  to  force  open  and  enter  the 
same.  Mr.  Davis,  one  of  the  counsel  for  Mr.  Oilman,  moved  for  a  sepa- 
rate trial  as  to  Mr.  Gilman ;  which,  after  much  argument,  was  granted, 
upon  the  condition  that  the  other  eleven  defendants  should  stipulate  to  be 
tried  jointly.  At  this  stage  of  the  cause,  a  petition  signed  by  some  sixty 
Citizens  was  presented  to  the  court,  praying  that  the  Hon.  U.  F.  Linder, 
Attorney  General  of  the  State,  might  be  permitted  to  assist  the  City  At- 
torney in  the  prosecution  of  the  indictment.  The  court,  in  answer  to 
the  petition,  remarked,  that  it  was  wholly  without  its  province  to  interfere 
with  the  subject  matter  of  the  petition  ;  inasmuch  as  the  City  Attorney 
alone,  could  say  who  should  and  who  should  not  assist  him  ;  and  conse- 
quently, the  court,  in  discharge  of  its  duty,  and  with  all  respect 
for  the  petitioners,  would  be  compelled  to  deny  the  request ;  but  that  the 
Attorney  General  could  appear  in  the  cause,  if  the  counsel  for  the  people 
and  the  defendant  should  so  consent.  Mr.  Davis  then  arose,  and  stated 
to  the  court,  that  neither  Mr.  Gilman  nor  his  counsel  had  any  objection 


286  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

the  south  end  of  the  store  next  the  river,  knocked  and 
hailed  the  store.     Those  within  were  stationed  in  diffe- 


whateverto  the  Attorney  General's  appearing  on  behalf  of  the  People. 
The  City  Attorney  consenting,  Mr.  Linder  appeared  in  aid  of  the  prose- 
cution. 

'  A  jury  was  without  much  difficulty  impanneled;  and  the  prosecution 
proceeded  in  the  examination  of  the  testimony,  which  developed  most 
clearly  this  whole  transaction  from  its  origin  down  to  its  lamentable  ter- 
mination. One  of  the  witnesses  on  the  part  of  the  prosecution,  H.  H. 
West,  Esq.  stated,  that  early  in  the  evening,  about  dark,  a  person  called 
upon  him,  and  informed  him  that  a  mob  was  to  be  gotten  up  that  night, 
with  a  view  of  destroying  the  press  then  in  the  warehouse  of  Godfrey, 
Oilman  &  Co.,  and  that  the  assailants  had  determined  to  obtain  the 
press,  and  destroy  it,  either  by  burning  the  warehouse,  or  blowing  it  up  ; 
that  the  person  giving  him  the  information  urged  him  to  go  and  see  Mr. 
Oilman,  and  inform  him  of  the  fact ;  that  he,  in  company  with  E.  Keating, 
Esq.  did  repair  to  the  warehouse  of  Mr.  Oilman,  where  he  found  a  num- 
ber of  individuals  assembled,  all  of  whom  were  armed  with  muskets  ;  and 
that  he  there  stated  to  Mr.  Oilman  what  he  had  been  told,  and  the  rumour 
that  was  current  through  the  town ;  that  Mr.  Oilman  expressed  great 
astonishment  at  the  information,  and  could  not  credit  it ;  and  said  he  did 
not  expect  any  attack  would  be  made  that  evening.  Mr.  West  also  stated 
that  the  attack  commenced  on  the  outside,  by  throwing  a  volley  of  stones 
at  the  windows  and  doors,  and  that  two  guns  were  fired  from  the  outside 
previous  to  any  guns  being  fired  from  within.  Mr.  Keating  corroborated 
in  every  respect  the  testimony  ol  Mr.  West,  and  also  testified  that  the 
firing  of  guns  commenced  on  the  outside,  and  at  the  time  the  first  attack  was 
made  upon  the  building.  All  the  witnesses  agreed  in  this  particular; 
and  the  Mayor  of  the  city,  in  his  testimony  stated  that  he  saw  the  assail- 
ants, when  they  first  went  to  the  warehouse,  many  of  whom  were  picking 
up  stones  as  they  proceeded  towards  it,  and  that  one  man  had  a  gun. 
There  was  one  other  witness,  besides  the  Mayor,  called  on  behalf  of  the 
defendant,  who -corroborated  the  statement  of  the  witnesses  on  the  part 
of  the  prosecution,  as  to  the  attack  first  being  made  on  the  outside  with 
stones  and  fire-arms,  and  who  stated  further,  that  he  was  one  of  the  in- 
dividuals in  the  building,  who  had  repaired  there  with  a  view  of  defend- 
ing it ;  that  it  was  well  understood  and  agreed  among  them,  that  they 
were  in  no  case  to  act  except  upon  the  defensive  ;  and  that  a  resort  to 
fire-arms  was  not  to  be  had  unless  driven  to  it  in  the  preservation  of  their 
lives.  He  further  stated  that  they  all  supposed  they  were  acting  under 
the  authority  of  the  Mayor. 
The  above  is  the  substance  of  the  testimony,  both  on  the  part  of  tho 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  287 

rent  parts  of  the  building.     Mr.  Oilman,  one  of  the  own- 
ers of  the  store,  asked  them  from  the  garret  door,  what 


prosecution  and  the  defence,  and  which  will  serve  to  give  the  public  some 
idea  of  the  facts  developed  in  the  cause,  until  they  shall  be  enabled  to  see 
a  minute  statement  of  the  whole  trial,  which,  we  arc  informed,  is  now  pre- 
paring— a  gentlemen  having  taken  full  notes  for  that  purpose— and  which 
will  be  published  in  pamphlet  form  as  soon  as  the  circumstances  wj|l 
admit  of  it.  The  counsel  for  the  defendant  then  proposed  to  submit  the 
case  without  argument  to  the  jury  ;  which  being  objected  to  on  the  part 
of  the  prosecution,  it  was  summed  up  by  F.  B.  Murdoch,  City  Attorney, 
Samuel  G.  Bailey,  and  U.  F.  Linder,  Attorney  General,  Esq'rs.,  on  the 
part  of  the  prosecution,  and  Geo.  T.  M.  Davis  and  Alfred  Cowles,  Esq'rs. 
on  the  part  of  the  defendant.  No  instructions  being  asked  for  by  either 
side,  the  cause  was  submitted  after  the  argument  of  counsel  without  any 
instructions  from  his  honour  the  Judge  to  the  jury  ;  who,  after  an  absence 
of  ten  minutes,  returned  into  court  the  verdict  of  Not  Guilty.  The  next 
morning  the  City  Attorney  entered  a  nolle  prosequi  as  to  the  oUier  eleven 
defendants. 

On  Friday,  the  19th  of  January,  there  came  on  for  trial  in  the  Munici- 
pal Court  of  this  city,  the  case  of  the  People  against  Frederick  Bruchey, 
William  Carr,  James  M.  Rock,  David  Butler,  Horace  Beall,  Levi 

Palmer, Nutter, Jennings,  and  others.  Two  of  the  defendants 

had  left  the  city  :  the  others  came  in  voluntarily,  and  entered  the  plea  of 
Not  Guilty.  The  indictment  was  for  riot,  and  charged  that  the  defend- 
ants, on  the  7th  of  November,  with  force  and  arms,  riotously  and  rout- 
onsly  entered  the  warehonse  of  Benjamin  Godfrey  and  Winthrop  S.  Oil- 
man, and  forcibly  broke  and  destroyed  a  printing  press,  then  and  there 
being,  the  proper  goods  and  chattels  of  the  said  Godfrey  and  Gilman, 
contrary  to  the  statute  in  such  case  made  and  provided.  An  indictment 
had  been  found  against  Winthrop  S.  Gilrnan  and  others,  who  had  entered 
the  said  warehouse  to  defend  the  press  from  threatened  destruction  by 
the  mob  without.  That  indictment  was  tried  on  Wednesday,  the  17th 
day  of  January,  which  trial  resulted  in  the  acquittance  of  Mr.  Gilman, 
who  was  tried  separately ;  after  which  the  City  Attorney  dismissed  the 
prosecution  as  to  the  other  defendants,  jointly  indicted  with  him.  This 
trial  having  led  to  an  examination  of  the  whole  case,  as  well  of  those  as- 
saulting the  warehouse,  as  of  those  defending  it,  the  members  of  the  jury 
of  the  regular  pannel  had  formed  opinions  in  relation  to  the  matter,  so  as 
to  disqualify  themselves.  It  therefore  became  necessary  to  select  a  new 
jury  from  the  by-standers,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  the  last  case. 

On  the  part  of  the  People,  it  was  proved,  that  the  press  had  arrived  by 


288  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

they   wanted.      Their    leader,    William   Carr,   replied, 
"  the  press."     Mr.  Gilman  then  told  them  that  it  would 


steamboat  a  day  or  two  previous  to  the  7th  of  November,  consigned  to 
Mr.  A.  B.  Roff ;  but  was  landed  at  Messrs.  Godfrey  and  Oilman's  ware- 
house, where  it  was  stored  ;  that  said  warehouse  was  built  by  those  gen- 
tlemen in  1832,  and  has  been  since  that  time  owned  and  occupied  by 
them,  as  forwarding  and  •  commission  merchants  ;  that  on  the  afternoon 
of  November  7th,  one  of  the  defendants  had  told  the  witness,  (H.  H. 
West,  Esq.)  that  the  boys  were  going  to  attack  the  warehouse,  and  that  it 
would  be  either  blown  up  or  burned,  unless  the  press  was  given  up  ;  and 
that  some  of  the  defendants  were  in  a  company  of  about  twenty-five,  that 
formed  a  line  from  a  certain  grocery,  swearing  that  they  would  have  the 
press  at  all  hazards.  It  was  also  proved  that  two  guns  or  pistols  were 
fired  from  the  outside  of  the  warehouse  at  those  within  ;  that  showers  of 
stones  were  discharged  against  the  front  of  the  building,  by  which  the 
windows  were  demolished ;  that  during  the  attack  a  man  named  Bishop 
was  shot  from  the  inside  of  the  warehouse;  that  some  of  the  defendants 
were  seen  carry  ing  away  his  body,  observing  that  one  of  their  men  had 
been  wounded  ;  that  Mr.  Gilman  addressed  the  crowd  from  the  third  story 
of  the  building,  requesting  them  to  desist,  and  stating  that  he  was  defend- 
ing his  property,  which  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  do  at  the  risk  of  his  life  ;  that 
he  was  replied  to  by  one  of  the  defendants,  r.s  spokesman  for  the  rest, 
who  observed  that  they  were  determined  to  destroy  the  press,  if  it  cost 
them  their  lives. 

It  was  also  proved  by  the  Mayor,  and  S.  W.  Robbins,  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  that  they  iu  'itified  several  of  the  defendants,  with  arms  in  their 
hands,  declaring  that  tney  would  have  the  press  ;  that  a  man  was  seen 
going  towards  the  warehouse,  with  fire  in  his  hands,  swearing  that  he 
would  bum  down  the  building  ;  that  a  ladder  was  set  up  against  the  side, 
and  the  fire  actually  communicated  to  the  roof;  that  at  this  time,  Mr. 
West  went  in  with  the  Mayor,  to  propose  a  capitulation,  by  which  it  was 
stipulated  that  if  those  inside  would  leave  the  warehouse,  and  give  up 
the  press,  they  should  not  be  injured,  and  no  other  property,  except  the 
press,  molested  ;  that  the  building  was  accordingly  abandoned  by  Mr. 
Oilman,  and  its  other  defenders,  as  the  only  means  left  them  to  prevent 
its  destruction,  and  that  of  their  own  lives  ;  that  they  were  fired  upon 
by  some  of  the  crowd  as  they  retreated ;  that  upon  their  leaving  the 
warehouse,  it  was  immediately  entered  by  some  of  the  defendants  and 
others ;  that  the  press  was  thrown  out,  and  demolished  with  a  sledge 
hammer,  &c. 

This  constitutes  the  sum  of  the  evidence  on  the  part  of  the  prosecu- 
tion. On  the  part  of  the  defendant?,  it  was  proved  by  Mr.  Gilman  that 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  2P9 

not  be  given  up,  and  added,  "  we  have  no  ill  feelings  to- 
wards any  of  you,  and  should  much  regret  to  do  you 
any  injury ;  but  we  are  authorized  by  the  Mayor  to 
defend  our  property,  and  shall  do  so  with  our  lives.' 
Carr  again  replied  that  they  had  determined  to  have  it 
even  at  the  sacrifice  of  their  lives,  and  presented  a  pistol 
towards  Mr.  G.,  who  then  retired  into  the  building.  The 
mob  then  went  round  to  the  opposite  end  of  the  ware- 
house, and  commenced  throwing  stones,  which  soon  de- 
molished several  windows.  Those  in  the  building  had 
agreed  not  to  fire  unless  their  lives  were  endangered. 
After  throwing  stones  for  some  time,  the  mob  fired  two 
or  three  guns  into  the  building,  without  however  wound- 
ing any  one.  The  fire  was  then  returned  from  within, 
two  or  three  guns  discharged  upon  the  rioters,  several  of 
their  number  wounded,  and  one  by  the  name  of  Bishop, 
mortally.  This  checked  the  efforts  of  the  mob  and  they 
departed,  carrying  away  those  that  were  wounded.  The 
number  is  not  known  as  they  were  concealed  by  their 
friends.  After  a  visit  to  the  rum-shops,  they  returned 
with  ladders  and  other  materials  to  set  fire  to  the  roof  of 
the  warehouse,  shouting  with  fearful  imprecations  and 
curses,  "  Burn  them  out,  burn  them  out."  They  now 
kept  themselves  on  the  side  of  the  building  where  there 
were  no  windows,  so  that  they  could  not  be  annoyed  or 
driven  away  by  those  within  the  building,  unless  they 
came  out.  This  of  course  would  be  extremely  danger- 
ous, as  the  night  was  perfectly  clear,  and  the  moon  at  its 


he  was  not  the  owner  of  the  press,  and  had  no  further  interest  in  it,  than 
the  liability  of  himself  and  partner  for  its  safe-keeping.  After  argument 
by  counsel,  the  case  was  submitted  to  the  jury,  who  returned  a  verdict 
of  Not  Guilty.  Counsel  for  the  people,  F.  B.  Murdoch,  City  Attorney 
«md  Alfred  Cowles,  Esq'rs ;  for  the  defence,  U.  F.  Linder,  Esq.,  Av 

torney  General. ISee  the  Mayor's  evidence  at  the  end.] 

25 


290  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

full.  The  Mayor  and  Justice  Robbins  were  then  depu 
ted  by  the  mob  to  bear  a  flag  of  truce  to  those  within, 
proposing  as  terms  of  capitulation,  that  the  press  should 
be  given  up,  and  on  that  condition,  they  might  be  per- 
mitted to  depart  unmolested,  and  that  no  other  property 
should  be  destroyed.  The  Mayor  made  known  the  terms 
of  surrender  to  the  little  band,  at  the  same  time  informing 
them  that  the  mob  had  determined  to  fire  the  building. 
They  promptly  replied,  that  they  came  there  to  defend 
their  property,  and  should  do  it.  Mr.  Gilman  then  re- 
quested him  to  call  upon  certain  citizens  to  prevent  the 
burning  of  the  store.  The  Mayor  replied,  that  so  nu- 
merous were  the  mob,  and  so  desperate  withal,  that  he 
could  do  nothing  but  command  and  persuade,  which  he 
had  already  tried  without  effect.  He  was  then  asked  if 
they  should  defend  their  property  with  arms,  he  replied 
as  he  had  repeatedly  before,  that  they  had  a  perfect  right 
so  to  do,  and  that  the  law  justified  that  course.  On  re- 
turning and  reporting  the  result  of  his  embassy,  the  mob 
set  up  a  shout,  and  rushed  on  with  cries  of  "  Fire  the 
building,  fire  the  building,"  "  Burn  'em  out,  burn  'em 

out,"  "  shoot  every  d d  Abolitionist  as  he  leaves." 

It  was  now  near  midnight.  The  bells  had  been  rung 
and  a  large  concourse  of  citizens  assembled,  who  stood 
inactive  spectators  of  these  deeds  of  arson  and  murder. 
The  mob  now  raised  their  ladders  and  placed  them  on 
the  north-east  corner  of  the  store,  and  kindled  a  fire  on 
the  roof,  which  although  of  wood,  did  not  burn  very 
readily.  About  five  individuals  now  volunteered  to  go 
out  and  drive  them  away.  They  left  the  building  on  the 
south  end,  came  round  to  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
ouilding,  turned  the  angle,  and  two  or  three  fired  upon 
the  man  on  the  ladder,  drove  him  away  and  dispersed 
the  mob.  They  then  returned  into  the  store  and  re-load- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  291 

ed.  Our  brother  and  Mr.  Weller,  with  one  or  two  others 
again  stepped  to  the  door,  and,  seeing  no  one,  stood 
looking  round  just  without  the  threshhold,  our  brother 
being  a  little  before  the  others  and  more  exposed.  Sev- 
eral of  the  mob  had  in  the  meantime,  concealed  them- 
selves behind  a  pile  of  lumber  that  lay  at  a  short  dis- 
tance. One  of  them  had  a  two-barrelled  gun  and  fired. 
Our  brother  received  five  balls,  three  in  his  breast,  two 
on  the  left  and  one  on  the  right  side,  one  in  the  abdomen, 
and  one  in  his  left  arm.  He  turned  quickly  round  into 
the  store,  ran  hastily  up  a  flight  of  stairs,  with  his  arms 
across  his  breast,  came  into  the  counting-room,  and  fell, 
exclaiming  "  Oh  God,  I  am  shot,"  "  I  am  shot,"  and  ex- 
pired in  a  few  moments.  Mr.  Weller  received  a  ball  in 
the  calf  of  his  leg,  but  has  since  recovered.  Some  in 
the  building  were  for  continuing  the  conflict,  but  they 
finally  resolved  to  yield.  One  of  their  number  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Harned,  then  went  up  to  the  scuttle,  and  informed 
the  mob  that  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  dead  and  that  they  would 
give  up  the  press,  provided  they  might  be  allowed  to  es- 
cape unmolested.  When  this  announcement  was  made 
the  mob  set  up  a  yell  of  exultation  which  rent  the  very 
heavens,  and  swore  that  they  should  all  find  a  grave 
where  they  were.  Mr.  Roff  then  determined  to  go  out 
at  all  hazards  and  to  make  some  terms  if  possible.  As 
soon  as  he  had  opened  the  door,  and  placed  one  foot 
without,  he  was  fired  upon  and  wounded  in  the  ankle. 
He  too  has  nearly  recovered.  A  Mr.  West  then  came 
to  the  door  on  the  north  end  of  the  store,  and  cried  to 
those  within, "  For  God's  sake  leave  the  building  and  let 
them  in  or  all  the  property  will  be  destroyed,"  stating 
also  that  the  roof  was  already  on  fire,  and  that  it  was 
useless  to  remain.  All  except  two  or  three  then  laid 
down  their  arms,  left  the  building  at  the  southern  door, 


292  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

and  fled  down  the  river.  As  they  escaped,  they  were 
fired  upon  by  the  mob,  and  one  individual  had  a  ball  pass 
through  his  coat  near  his  shoulder.  The  mob  then  rush- 
ed into  the  building, — the  fire  being  extinguished — threw 
the  press  out  of  the  window  upon  the  shore,  broke  it  to 
pieces,  and  threw  it  into  the  river.  They  destroyed  no 
other  property  except  a  few  guns.  They  offered  no  in- 
dignity to  their  murdered  victim,  who  lay  on  a  cot  in  the 
counting-room.  Dr.  S.  M.  Hope,  one  of  their  number, 
insisted  on  taking  the  ball  from  Mr.  Weller's  leg,  but  he 
refused,  saying  that  he  would  rather  die  than  receive  as 
sistance  from  one  of  the  mob. 

About  two  o'clock  the  mob  dispersed.  On  the  door  of 
the  building  where  some  of  those  who  had  escaped  had 
taken  refuge,  figures  of  coffins  were  drawn,  under  which 
was  written,  "  Ready  made  coffins  for  sale,  inquire  of 
&c.,"  referring  to  individuals  who  had  been  in  the  store 
that  night. 

The  next  morning  the  bloody  remains  of  our  brother, 
were  removed  by  a  few  friends  from  the  warehouse  to 
his  dwelling  ;  and  as  the  hearse  moved  slowly  along 
through  the  street,  it  was  saluted  with  jeers  and  scoffs, 
which  showed  that  the  hatred  of  his  enemies  still  raged 
in  their  breasts,  unsatisfied  even  with  his  blood.  One 
who  had  been  a  principal  actor  in  the  horrid  tragedy  of 
the  previous  night,  said  "  If  he  had  a  fife  he  would  play 
the  dead  march  for  him."  He  was  buried  on  Thursday 
the  ninth  of  November,  just  thirty-five  years  from  the 
day  of  his  birth.  There  was  not  a  large  number  who 
attended  his  funeral.  He  looked  perfectly  natural,  but 
little  paler  than  usual,  and  a  smile  still  resting  upon  his 
lips.  He  sleeps  in  a  grave-yard  a  short  distance  from 
his  dwelling,  between  two  large  oak  trees,  one  standing 
at  his  head  and  one  at  his  feet. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  293 

His  wife  was  not  at  home  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
having  gone  to  Upper  Alton,  that  same  day  in  order  to 
avoid  that  state  of  continual  alarm  and  apprehension, 
which  attended  her  while  at  Alton.  When  told  that  her 
husband  was  killed,  she  sank  down  senseless,  "  trem- 
bling," says  one  present,  "as  though  an  arrow  had 
pierced  her  heart."  She  remained  in  this  state  for  sev- 
eral days,  so  that  she  was  not  able  to  attend  the  burial  of 
her  husband.  After  her  partial  recovery  she  stopped  for 
a  few  days  at  her  house.  On  the  day  she  left  Alton  for 
her  mother's  at  St.  Charles,  where  she  now  is,  she  rode 
to  the  grave  of  her  husband.  She  wept  freely  but  was 
not  very  much  agitated.  She  said  on  her  return,  that 
she  hoped  she  might  live  to  train  up  her  little  son  to  imi- 
tate the  example  of  his  father. 

She  has  but  one  little  boy,  Edward  Payson,  who  was 
born  in  March,  1836-  If  she  lives  she  will  probably 
give  birth  to  another  child.  Her  health  is  now,  Febru- 
ary, 1838,  comparatively  good. 

That  our  brother,  for  we  knew  him  well,  has  gone  to 
a  world  where  hatred  cannot  disturb,  nor  violence  injure, 
we  cannot  doubt.  We  cannot  doubt  that  those  ties  which 
twined  so  closely  around  his  heart,  and  which  were  so 
rudely  and  wickedly  sundered,  have  been  healed  in  that 
place  of  peace  and  blessedness  dimly  shadowed  forth  in 
the  following  lines  from  his  own  pen. 

THERE  IS  AN  ISLE. 

"  THERE  is  an  isle,  a  lovely  isle, 

Which  ocean  depth's  embrace, 
Nor  man's  deceit,  nor  woman's  wile, 

Hath  ever  found  the  place. 
How  sweet  'twould  be,  if  I  could  find 
This  isle,  and  leave  the  world  behind. 
25* 


894  MEMOIR  or  THE 

See  from  the  heaven-born  Pleiades, 
Comes  the  young,  blooming  spring  ; 

Her  light  car  yoked  unto  a  breeze, 
With  aromatic  wing ; 

Gaily  she  drives  around  its  shores, 

And  scatters  all  her  purple  stores. 

Ten  thousand  Naiads  sport  along, 

Her  ever  joyous  train  ; 
And  life  and  love  are  poured  in  song, 

And  bliss  in  every  strain ; 
So  soft,  so  sweet,  so  bland  the  while, 
That  even  despair  itself  would  smile. 

Eternal  calm  hangs  o'er  its  plains, 

Its  skies  are  ever  fair; 
In  nectar'd  dew  descend  its  rains  ; 

No  fire-charged  clouds  are  there, 
To  speak  in  thunder  from  the  path 
Of  God  come  down  to  earth  in  wrath. 

Its  silvery  streams  o'er  crystals  flow, 
Where  sparkling  diamonds  be, 

And,  sweetly  murmuring,  gently  go, 
To  meet  a  stormless  sea ; 

And  in  their  clear,  reflective  tide, 

In  golden  scales  the  fishes  glide. 

Melodious  songsters  fill  its  groves, 

To  harmony  attuned ; 
Where  saints  and  seraphs  tell  their  loves, 

Their  golden  harps  around, 
In  strains  as  soft  as  charmed  the  hours, 
When  man  was  blest  in  Eden's  bowers. 

No  birds  of  blood,  nor  beasts  of  prey, 
Can  in  its  woodlands  breathe  ; 

Peace  spreads  her  wing  o'er  ev'ry  spray, 
And  beauty  sleeps  beneath ; 


RBV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  295 

Or  wakes  to  joy  her  varying  note, 
From  ev'ry  golden-feather'd  throat. 

No  gloomy  morning  ever  gleams 

Upon  this  isle  so  fair  ; 
No  tainted  breeze  from  guilty  climes 

Infects  the  evening  air ; 
For  in  the  light  of  ev'ry  star 
Are  angels  watching  from  afar. 

Oh  !  I  would  leave  this  wretched  world, 

Where  hope  can  hardly  smile  ; 
And  go  on  wings  by  faith  unfurled, 

To  reach  this  happy  isle  ; 
But  that  some  ties  still  bind  me  here, 
Which  while  they  fetter,  still  endear. 

And  I  would  not  that  these  should  part, 

Till  He,  and  He  alone, 
Who  wound  them  finely  round  my  heart, 

Has  cut  them  one  by  one  : 
And  when  the  last  is  severed,  then 
Upon  this  isle  'twill  heal  again." 

E.  P.  L. 
HaUowett  Gazette,  Nov.  1th,  1827. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WE  now  approach  the  end  of  our  painful  task.  A 
constant  attention,  for  several  weeks,  to  the  scenes  at 
Alton,  has  drawn  largely  upon  the  sympathies  of  the 
heart.  By  night  and  by  day  the  image  of  a  murdered 
brother  has  been  present  to  the  mind.  It  has  indeed 
been  both  soothing  and  refreshing  to  trace  the  abundant 
evidences,  in  his  public  and  private  writings,  that  he  was 
"  ready  to  be  offered."  We  have  simply  narrated  the 
facts  in  regard  to  his  life,  and  presented  some  portion 
of  his  writings,  according  to  the  best  of  our  judgment  and 
ability.  We  offer  no  remark,  draw  no  inferences,  make 
no  appeal,  seek  no  colouring.  Of  the  whole  painful 
tragedy,  it  has  been  justly  said,  "  no  language  can  exag- 
gerate the  naked  atrocity  of  the  facts — no  oratory  can 
deepen  the  dark  colours — the  simple  statement  is  the 
strongest — the  plainest  narrative  the  most  condemning." 

We  had  hoped  to  obtain  an  engraving  which  would 
give  an  accurate  conception  of  his  person.  This  how- 
ever was  found  wholly  impracticable  as  no  portrait  of  him 
had  ever  been  taken. 

He  was  of  middling  stature,  thick  set,  his  height  being 
about  five  feet  nine  inches.  His  complexion  was  dark, 
with  black  piercing  eyes  and  full  countenance.  His 
feelings  were  naturally  ardent.  As  a  man,  he  was  coura- 
geous, firm,  and  independent.  As  a  companion,  cheerful 
and  social.  As  a  Christian,  meek  and  prayerful.  Asaminis- 
ter,  dignified  and  solemn.  As  a  writer,  clear  and  forcible, 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  29? 

drawing  at  pleasure,  for  the  illustration  of  his  subject,  from 
the  stores  of  a  well  furnished  memory.  In  the  social 
relations,  as  husband,  son,  and  brother,  he  was  kind  and 
sympathizing — greatly  beloved. 

After  his  return  to  the  West,  in  1833,  he  acquired  and 
retained  a  large  share  of  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
his  brethren,  in  the  ministry  and  in  the  churches.  He 
was  ordained  as  an  evangelist  in  June,  1834.  He  was 
frequently  called  to  attend  protracted  meetings  >  and  visit 
the  destitute  churches  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  and 
Alton.  He  felt  a  lively  interest  in  the  various  benevo- 
lent societies  of  the  West,  and  was  secretary  of  four  or 
five  of  them  for  several  years.  At  the  time  he  left  St. 
Louis,  he  was  moderator  of  the  Presbytery  there,  and 
also  of  the  Presbytery  at  Alton  when  he  died.  There  is 
no  evidence  that  the  Christian  community  were  at  all 
withdrawing  their  confidence  from  him.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  is  abundant  testimony  that  he  had  a  place 
in  the  warm  affections  of  a  great  majority  of  the  wise 
and  good  throughout  Illinois,  and  in  many  other  states. 
The  difficulties  which  he  had  to  encounter  were  local — 
they  all  arose  from  his  course  upon  two  subjects,  POPERY 
and  SLAVERY.  The  only  valid  accusation  that  even  his 
enemies  have  preferred  against  him  is  ;  that  he  too  much 
he  revered  the  command,  "  Thou  shall  love  thy  neigh- 
bour as  thy  thyself."  We  here  insert  a  letter  from  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Chaplin,  who  was  President  of  Waterville 
College,  while  our.  brother  was  a  member  of  that  institu- 
tion. Also  an  extract  from  the  sermon  of  Mr.  McKeen. 

Willington,  Conn.,  January  30th,  1838. 
REV.  Jos.  C.  LOVEJOY, 

Dear  Sir  : — In  compliance  with  the  wish  ex- 
pressed in  your  letter  of  the  15th  inst.  and  repeated  in 


298  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

that  of  the  23d,  I  set  down  to  record  some  things  in  re 
lation  to  the  late  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  your  unfortunate 
and  justly  lamented  brother. 

From  the  commencement  of  his  collegiate  course  to 
the  time  of  his  graduation,  I  was  intimately  acquainted 
with  him.  During  this  period,  he  made  no  pretensions 
to  experimental  religion.  As  far,  however,  as  my  ac- 
quaintance with  him  enabled  me  to  judge,  he  was 
never  chargeable  with  making  light  of  sacred  things,  or 
with  favouring  the  cause  of  infidelity.  According  to  the 
best  of  my  recollection,  his  attendance  on  the  services  of 
the  chapel  was  regular  and  respectful.  I  have  besides 
the  satisfaction  of  being  able  to  say,  that  he  sustained  a 
fair  moral  character,  and  was  exact  in  his  obedience  to 
the  laws  of  the  college.  He  uniformly  treated  its  officers 
in  a  gentlemanly  manner,  and  seemed  desirous  of  exert- 
ing all  the  influence  he  possessed  over  his  fellow-stu- 
dents in  favour  of  order  and  good  morals.  I  think  his 
natural  disposition  was  kind  and  amiable.  His  tempera 
ment  was,  indeed,  uncommonly  sanguine,  as  every  one 
must  have  perceived  who  was  at  all  acquainted  with  him. 
And  this,  we  should  naturally  suppose,  must  frequently 
have  led  him  to  the  adoption  of  measures,  or  at  least  to 
the  use  of  expressions  at  variance  with  the  dictates  of 
sound  reason.  There  are,  some  excellent  men  who,  in 
consequence  of  possessing  too  much  warmth,  are  fre 
quently  betrayed  into  indiscretions  which  greatly  dimin 
ish  both  their  comfort  and  usefulness.  But  this  was  not 
the  case  with  Mr.  Lovejoy,  at  least  during  his  residence 
at  Waterville.  He  had  such  a  fund  of  good  sense  and  good 
nature  that,  although  exceedingly  ardent,  he  seldom  gave 
offence,  or  had  cause  to  be  sorry  on  account  of  the 
measures  which  he  adopted.  A  hundred  young  men 
like  him  might,  it  seems  to  me,  be  more  easily  governed 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY. 

than  half  a  dozen  of  those  (falsely  called)  choice  spirits, 
who  frequently  reside  in  the  walls  of  a  college. 

In  regard  to  the  intellectual  powers  of  your  deceased 
brother,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  they  were  of  a  su- 
perior order-  He  seems  to  me  to  have  approached  very 
near  to  the  rank  of  those  distinguished  men  who  have 
been  honoured  with  the  title  of  universal  geniuses.  Da- 
ring his  collegiate  course  he  appeared  to  have  an  almost 
equal  adaptation  of  mind  to  the  various  branches  of  sci- 
ence and  literature,  usually  studied  at  our  seminaries  of 
learning  ;  and,  what  is  more,  he  took  hold  of  each  with 
giant  strength.  It  was  my  lot  to  hear  his  class  in  Greek 
and  in  metaphysics,  and  I  well  remember  that  in  both  of 
these  departments  of  knowledge,  he  appeared  to  great 
advantage  at  the  daily  recitations,  and  also  at  the  exami- 
nation of  his  class  before  the  board  of  visitors.  I  think 
he  was  rather  more  fond  of  languages  and  polite  litera- 
ture, than  of  intellectual  philosophy  and  the  exact  sci- 
ences. In  the  latter,  however,  he  acquitted  himself  in  a 
highly  creditable  manner. 

After  what  I  have  said  respecting  his  attainments,  it 
seems  almost  superfluous  to  add  that  he  was  a  close  appli- 
cant. I  mention  this  as  one  of  his  distinguishing  excel- 
lencies. In  the  course  of  my  life  I  have  been  acquainted 
with  some  individuals  of  fine  talents,  who,  in  consequence 
of  their  disrelish  of  intellectual  labour,  never  attained  to  a 
a  very  high  rank  as  literary  men.  And  this  would,  un- 
questionably, have  been  the  case  with  your  brother,  had 
he  not  been  willing  to  toil  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge. 
But  he  was  willing  to  toil  by  night  and  by  day.  And 
this  enabled  him,  not  only  to  make  rapid  progress  in  sci- 
ence and  literature  himself,  but  to  exert  a  highly  beneficial 
influence  on  the  progress  of  his  fellow-students. 

In  closing  this  communication,  I  cannot  refrain  from 


300  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

expressing  my  sympathy  with  you,  my  dear  sir,  and 
with  your  widowed  mother  and  other  relations,  in  view 
of  the  heavy  afflictions  which  you  have  all  experienced 
in  the  untimely  death  of  one  so  deservedly  dear  to  your 
hearts,  and  my  hope  that  you  will  not  only  be  supported 
under  it,  but  find  it  yield  in  you  the  peaceable  fruit  of 
righteousness. 

With  great  respect,  I  am 

Your  friend  and  servant, 

JER.  CHAPLIN. 


Extracts  from  a  sermon  preached  at  Oldtown,  Maine,  December  31st., 
1837,  on  the  occasion  of  the  massacre  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lovejoy,  by  re- 
quest of  the  mother  and  other  relatives  of  the  deceased  in  that  place,  by 
the  ReT.  Silas  McKeen,  of  Belfast,  from  Psalm  Ixxvi.  10, — "  Surely 
ike  wrath  of  man  shall  praise  Thee." 

Let  us  now  consider  briefly  some  of  the  principal  ob- 
jections which  have  been  made  to  the  course  which  Mr. 
Lovejoy  thought  it  his  duty  to  pursue. 

It  has  been  insisted  that  no  one  ought  to  so  go  before 
or  run  counter  to  public  opinion,  as  to  make  himself 
odious  or  create  disturbance  in  the  community,  and  that 
as  Mr.  Lovejoy  did  this,  he  acted  imprudently,  and 
virtually  forfeited  his  claim  to  legal  protection.  If  so, 
Galileo  deserved  to  be  condemned  and  punished  as  he 
was,  for  daring  to  invade  the  Romish  darkness  by  teach- 
ing that  the  earth  is  a  sphere,  turning  on  its  axis,  and 
revolving  round  the  sun.  William  Tindall  deserved  to 
be  strangled  and  burned  for  offering  such  an  insult  to 
public  sentiment,  as  to  prepare  and  publish  a  translation 
of  the  New  Testament  in  English,  that  his  country- 
men might  have  an  opportunity  of  reading  for  themselves 
those  holy  books.  And  the  apostles  merited  their  fate 
by  attempting  to  bring  into  contempt  the  established  doc- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  301 

trines  and  usages  of  Heathenism,  in  order  to  introduce 
and  establish  Christianity.  The  sentiment  is  base  and 
abominable  and  ought  to  be  repudiated  with  scorn. 

It  has  again  been  said  that  when  Mr.  Lovejoy  saw  that 
he  had  excited  public  indignation,  prudence  required  that 
he  should  have  gone  to  some  other  place.  That  this  in 
many,  perhaps  in  most  cases  of  persecution,  is  proper, 
when  practicable,  seems  evident  from  our  Lord's  direc- 
tion to  his  apostles,  "  When  they  persecute  you  in  this 
city,  flee  ye  into  another."  But  suppose  one  to  be  thrown 
into  such  circumstances  that  no  security  will  be  gained, 
or  that  important  principles  will  be  abandoned,  and  a 
dangerous  precedent  set  in,  can  he  flee  ;  is  this  general 
rule  binding  then? 

Take  the  case  of  Shadrach  and  his  companions  who 
firmly  refused  to  worship  the  image  which  their  king  had 
set  up,  and  yet  attempted  not  to  flee  from  his  wrath  ;  of 
Daniel,  who  in  view  of  the  peril  of  being  cast  into  the 
den  of  lions,  continued  to  make  his  prayer  publicly  unto 
his  God,  as  he  had  done  aforetime  ;  and  of  Nehemiah, 
who,  on  being  informed  of  the  murderous  designs  of  his 
enemies,  and  advised  to  conceal  himself  in  the  temple, 
boldly  replied,  "  Should  such  a  man  as  I  flee  ?  who  is 
there  that,  being  as  I  am,  would  go  into  the  Temple  to 
save  his  life  ?  I  will  not  go  in."  Our  missionaries,  Wo> 
cester  and  Butler,  remained  at  their  station  in  opposition 
to  the  unconstitutional  and  unrighteous  laws  of  Georgia, 
until  they  were  cast  into  the  penitentiary;  and  were  jus- 
tified by  the  highest  legal  tribunal  in  this  nation,  in  so 
doing.  What  shall  we  say  of  the  conduct  of  all  these 
men  ?  We  cannot  but  admire  it.  Our  Saviour  fled 
several  times  from  his  enemies  ;  but  when  he  knew  that 
the  time  was  at  hand  for  him  to  suffer,  he  made  no  fur- 
ther attempt  to  escape.  The  primitive  martyrs  very 
26 


302  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

generally  might  have  saved  their  lives,  by  what  those  who 
comprehended  not  their  views,  considered  a  very  reason- 
able and  easy  compliance  with  public  law  and  senti- 
ment ;  but  they  could  not  yield,  because  they  believed 
they  ought  not.  So  now,  a  man  may  be  thrown  into 
such  a  critical  and  responsible  situation,  that  it  would  be 
wrong  for  him  to  flee  even  to  save  his  life.  Our  lamented 
friend  believed  that  such  was  his  case,  and  I  see  not  how 
it  can  be  proved  that  his  belief  in  regard  to  this  point  was 
not  well  founded.  If  he  ought  to  have  quietly  yielded  to 
popular  prejudice  or  violence,  every  editor,  every  minis- 
ter, every  magistrate,  ought,  in  similar  circumstances,  to 
do  so  ;  and  law  and  justice  are  but  empty  names. 

Let  those  who  call  him  imprudent,  provided  they  are 
men  of  principle,  be  thrown  into  such  circumstances  that 
they  must  relinquish  sacred  rights  and  set  dangerous  ex- 
amples by  yielding  to  the  dictation  of  mobs,  and  they 
will  themselves  do  what  some  others  who  have  no  sympa- 
thy with  their  objects,  will  call  imprudent.  No  doubt 
some  considered  the  Rev.  Mr.  Parker,  of  New  Orleans, 
exceedingly  imprudent  a  few  years  ago,  to  return  .to  that 
city,  when  he  knew  there  was  high  indignation  against 
him,  and  to  inform  the  men  of  influence,  who  had  resolved 
to  drive  him  away,  that  he  should  stay,  be  the  consequen- 
ces what  they  might.  But  he  thought  he  acted,  and 
Undoubtedly  did  act,  in  a  manner  worthy  of  his  truly  ex- 
cellent character.  Happy  is  he  who  condemneth  not 
his  brother  in  the  thing  that  he  alloweth. 

Again,  it  has  been  said  that  Mr.  Lovejoy  and  his 
friends  had  no  right  to  resort  to  the  use  of  deadly  wea- 
pons in  their  defence ;  that  they  had  no  more  right  to 
fire  on  the  mob,  than  the  mob  had  to  fire  on  them ; 
that  they  were  in  fact,  two  mobs  conflicting  with  each 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  303 

other ;  and  that  his  fall  was  an  evidence  of  the  divine 
disapprobation  of  his  conduct. 

We  pretend  not  that  our  friend  was  infallible  ;  we  feel 
under  no  obligation  to  justify,  indiscriminately,  every 
thing  which  in  the  midst  of  his  manifold  difficulties,  and 
perils  and  cruel  persecutions  he  may  have  said  and  done. 
But  let  us  look  at  this  matter  candidly,  and  with  due 
discrimination. 

If  failure  and  death  by  violence  be  evidence  of  the 
divine  displeasure  in  regard  either  to  the  object  or  mea- 
sures pursued,  the  converse  of  the  proposition  must  be 
admitted  to  be  equally  true  ;  and  then  every  robber  and 
murderer  who  has  been  successful,  and  escaped  with  im- 
punity, must  be  considered  as  having  thereby  received 
indubitable  evidence  of  Heaven's  approbation.  Even  the 
bloody  assassin  who  shot  our  brother  to  the  heart,  may 
continue  to  lift  up  his  blood-stained  visage  with  triumph, 
inasmuch  as  he  took  the  sword  and  has  not  perished  by 
it.  The  position  cannot  be  maintained  for  a  moment. 

That  the  men  assailed  were  in  any  sense  a  mob,  stand- 
ing in  that  respect  on  a  level  with  the  assailants,  is  a 
false  and  base  insinuation.  As  well  might  you  say,  that 
the  crew  of  a  merchant  vessel,  who  resist  the  pirates  who 
attack  them,  are  themselves  pirates  in  so  doing ;  or  that 
those  who  resist  robbers,  violators,  and  murderers,  are  no 
better  than  they.  The  parties  stood  on  ground  altogether 
different.  The  one  stood  in  defence  of  sacred  rights  ; 
the  other  came  to  wrest  them  away.  The  one  stood  on 
ground  environed  and  secured  to  them  by  the  constitution 
and  laws  of  their  country  ;  while  the  other  came  of 
their  own  unauthorized  will  to  break  through  that  enclo- 
sure, and  to  put  those  who  had  fled  to  it  for  shelter,  under 
the  ban  of  mobocracy. 

Again,  Mr    Lovejoy  and  his  friends  acted  with  the 


304  MEMOIR  OP  THE 

countenance,  and  virtually  under  the  authority  of  the  chief 
officer  of  that  city,  whereas  their  assailants  acted  in  di- 
rect contempt  of  his  authority. 

Civil  governments  are  ordained  of  God,  and  magis- 
trates are  appointed  by  such  governments  expressly  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  those  who  do  well,  and  for  re- 
straining, punishing,  and,  if  need  be,  cutting  off  by  death 
those  who  violate  the  order  of  the  community,  and  the 
rights  of  their  fellow-men.  It  is  God's  will  that  they 
should  not  bear  the  SWORD  in  vain  ;  but  act  as  his  min- 
isters, in  the  character  of  avengers,  to  execute  wrath 
upon  those  who  do  evil.  They  ought  in  all  instances  to 
suppress  riots,  to  put  down  mobs,  even  by  force  and 
arms,  when  it  cannot  be  otherwise  effected.  With  this 
view  they  applied  to  the  Mayor  of  Alton.  He  acknow- 
ledged the  justice  of  their  claim  ;  but  owing  to  the  state 
of  public  sentiment  and  feeling  there,  was  not  able,  or  at 
least  did  not  venture,  to  furnish  them  with  requisite  pro- 
tection. He  told  them,  however,  that  they  had  a  right  to 
arm  and  defend  themselves,  and  in  two  instances  he  had 
acted  with  them  while  thus  armed,  before  the  night  of 
the  fatal  rencounter  ;  once  while  President  Beecher  was 
delivering  an  address  on  Slavery ;  and  again,  the  night 
the  press  was  landed.  He  did  not,  indeed,  require  them 
to  arm,  but  confessed  their  right,  and  gave  them  counte- 
nance. On  the  fatal  night  he  commanded  the  mob  to 
disperse  ;  but  he  did  not  command  them  to  disperse,  or 
to  lay  down  their  arms.  Single  handed  he  could  do 
nothing,  and  they  were  the  only  men  who  stood  firmly 
by  him  in  support  of  the  laws.  If  then  you  would  not 
condemn  a  military  company  who  should  come  forth  by 
the  call  of  authority  to  put  down  riot,  why  will  you,  so 
far  as  the  legality  of  the  proceedings  is  concerned,  con- 
demn these  persecuted  men  for  acting  as  they  did  ? 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  305 

But  should  it  still  be  insisted  on  by  any,  that  they 
were  in  no  sense  authorized  by  the  Mayor  to  defend 
their  property  and  persons,  which  we  do  not  admit,  yet 
had  they  not,  according  to  the  constitutions,  laws,  and 
usages  of  all  countries,  especially  of  their  own,  a  natu- 
ral and  civil  right  to  defend  themselves  when  their  un- 
alienable  rights  were  assailed,  and  no  protection  from 
government  could  be  obtained  ?  Has  not  the  solitary 
traveller  a  right  to  break  the  robber's  grasp  from  his 
throat ;  and  to  turn  away  his  dirk  from  his  breast,  though 
he  should  perchance  break  that  robber's  arm  or  head  in 
the  attempt  ?  Has  not  the  master  of  a  family,  when 
roused  from  his  couch  at  the  midnight  hour,  a  right  to 
repel  with  such  weapons  as  he  can  lay  his  hand  upon, 
the  wretches  who  are  attempting  to  plunder,  violate,  and 
murder  his  family,  and  to  burn  him  and  them  together  to 
hide  their  iniquity  ?  For  my  part  I  have  not  the  shadow 
of  a  doubt  respecting  the  right  of  defence  in  such  cases 
as  these.  Neither  have  I  any  doubt  of  the  legal  right  of 
Mr.  Lovejoy  to  defend  himself  as  he  did.  All  the  blood 
which  was  shed  there  on  both  sides,  is,  and  must  for- 
ever be  on  the  heads  of  the  rioters  ;  until  they  apply  to 
such  a  fountain  of  purification  as  earth  cannot  afford,  to 
wash  it  away,  and  the  civil  authorities  of  the  place  are 
bound  if  possible  to  bring  the  murderers  to  justice. 

But  was  not  the  defence  which  he  attempted  contrary 
to  the  command  of  the  Saviour,  which  required  him  to 
do  unto  others  as  he  would  have  them  do  to  him,  and 
therefore  morally,  religiously,  if  not  legally,  wrong  ?  I 
know  not  what  right  we  have  even  on  this  ground  to 
condemn  him.  Obedience  to  this  law  is.  not  inconsistent 
with  the  exercise  of  civil  justice,  or  the  maintenance  of 
unalienable  rights.  It  requires  us  to  cherish  benevo- 
lence to  all,  and  to  do  towards  others  as  in  reversed 
26* 


306 

circumstances  it  would  be  right  and  best  that  they  should 
do  towards  us.  Every  one  with  such  light  as  he  can 
obtain,  must  decide  and  act,  and  answer  to  God  for  him- 
self. In  regard  to  the  case  before  us  a  very  worthy 
minister  in  Vermont*  has  published  this  declaration. 
"  I  hereby  declare  that  if  I  ever  assault  a  family  with 
murderous  intent,  I  would  that  the  head  of  that  family 
resist  me  unto  blood,  if  he  cannot  control  me  otherwise — 
I  would  that  if  I  join  a  mob  to  destroy  a  printing  press 
to  stifle  free  discussion,  if  I  assault  the  defenders  of  that 
press,  and  attempt  to  fire  the  building  in  which  they  have 
intrenched  themselves,  that  some  lover  of  his  country, 
some  bold  defender  of  its  sacred  liberties,  some  generous 
friend  of  the  oppressed  and  trodden  down  slave,  under 
the  influence  and  by  the  authority  of  the  great  law  of 
love,  would  shoot  me  dead."  Mr.  Lovejoy  no  doubt  took 
the  same  views  of  the  matter,  and  fell  in  the  exercise 
of  philanthropy,  and  with  a  good  conscience  towards 
God. 

But  if  he  had  a  right  to  attempt  defence,  was  it  wise 
and  prudent  for  him,  situated  as  he  was,  to  use  that 
right  ?  I  have  been  inclined  to  think  it  was  not.  I  do 
think  that  in  pertinaciously  defending  his  rights  as  he 
did,  when  compassed  about  by  an  opposition  so  power- 
ful, he  acted  injudiciously  ;  in  this  respect,  that  he  had 
not  sufficient  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  possible  for 
him  to  secure  his  object.  Should  a  strong  band  of  rob- 
bers break  into  your  habitation  at  night,  and  having 
shown  you  that  they  had  you  completely  in  their  power, 
declare  they  would  spare  your  life  only  on  condition  you 
would  make  no. resistance,  no  outcry,  let  them  do  what 
they  pleased  with  your  property  and  family,  perhaps 

*  Rev.  Chester  Wright  of  Hardwick. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  307 

prudence,  abstractedly  considered,  might  require  you  to 
acquiesce  in  the  condition,  however  cruel.  But  yet  you 
would  find  the  actual  submission  a  very  different  thing 
from  mere  speculation  about  its  expediency.  Charging 
Mr.  Lovejoy  with  imprudence  in  seeking  to  defend  his 
press  and  life,  is  one  of  the  severest  reflections  which 
can  be  cast  on  the  authorities  and  people  of  Alton.  The 
more  evident  it  is  that  he  acted  injudiciously  in  this  at- 
tempt, the  more  manifest  it  is  that  a  most  disgraceful  dis- 
regard of  law,  of  justice,  and  even  of  humanity,  prevailed 
in  that  city.  What  would  you  think  of  a  community 
where  it  would  be  imprudent  for  you  to  use  your  own 
property  and  faculties  in  a  lawful  manner,  and  according 
to  your  own  convictions  of  duty  ?  But  Mr.  Lovejoy's 
imprudence  is  palliated  by  two  circumstances.  One  is 
that  friends  in  whom  he  placed  confidence  hoped  that  he 
might  succeed,  and  encouraged  him  to  go  on.  He  and 
they  trusted  that  a  show  of  determined  resistance  would 
be  sufficient,  and  that  no  blood  would  be  shed  on  either 
side.  If  the  affair  had  so  turned  out,  his  decisic.n  would 
no  doubt  have  been  generally  commended.  The  other 
is  that  he  appears  to  have  believed  that  even  if  he  failed 
in  securing  his  immediate  object,  still  the  ultimate  bene- 
fits which  would  accrue  from  his  effort,  would  be  suffi- 
cient to  justify  any  lawful  sacrifices  by  which  they  might 
be  obtained.  And  who  can  disprove  it  ?  On  this  prin- 
ciple the  patriotic  men  who  fell  in  the  war  of  the  revo- 
lution, were  willing  to  expose  their  lives  in  contending 
for  liberty,  even  unto  death.  And  in  the  spirit  of  martyrs 
our  missionary  brethren  in  China  are,  as  we  suppose, 
persisting  in  their  pious  efforts  under  the  sword  of  civil 
authority  uplifted  to  smite  them.  They  are  encouraged 
by  the  church  in  so  doing.  If  tidings  should  hereafter 
come  that  they  have  been  sacrificed,  it  will  undoubtedly 


308  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

be  said  by  many  that  they  acted  imprudently  in  remain- 
ing ;  but  still  their  example  of  firmness  and  perseverance, 
in  the  midst  of  perils,  will  not  have  been  presented  in 
vain,  nor  their  blood  have  been  shed  in  vain  ;  but  like 
that  of  the  primitive  martyrs  will  multiply  converts  to 
righteousness.  So  if  any  choose,  or  feel  constrained,  to 
say  that  our  lamented  Lovejoy  was  imprudent,  that  he 
acted  injudiciously  in  abiding  at  his  post,  and  warring 
for  Liberty  at  such  fearful  disadvantage  with  its  enemies, 
still  it  must  be  allowed  that  he  acted  nobly,  and  died  he- 
roically, and  has  left  an  example  of  invincible  firmness 
in  the  maintenance  of  what  he  believed  to  be  true  and 
right,  which  is  likely  to  be  remembered  long,  and  to  have 
great  influence.  His  work  is  done,  his  warfare  accom- 
plished, and  his  spirit  gone,  we  confidently  trust,  to  that 
blessed  world  where  the  remembrance  of  the  scenes  of 
conflict  and  suffering,  through  which  he  and  his  fellow- 
worshippers  passed  while  here,  will  occasion  no  sorrow  ; 
but  serve  to  inspire  them  all  with  profound  and  everlast- 
ing admiration  of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  their  God, 
who  causes  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him,  and  re- 
strains the  remainder. 

Let  us  now  advert,  briefly,  to  a  few  of  the  beneficial 
consequences  which  under  the  government  of  the  Al- 
mighty, have  resulted,  and  may  yet  be  expected  to  result 
from  this  terrible  outbreaking  of  wrath. 

In  the  first  place,  it  shows  to  all  men,  what  many  have 
been  slow  to  believe,  that  the  spirit  of  American  slave- 
holding  is  deadly  hostile  to  human  liberty.  What  has  this 
spirit  done  ?  It  has  subjected  millions  of  our  country- 
men to  a  state  of  abject  bondage,  has  deprived  them  of 
all  their  inalienable  rights,  even  of  the  privilege  of  call- 
ing their  bodies  or  souls  their  own,  and  debarred  them 
from  all  means  tending  to  raise  them  to  a  more  elevated 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  309 

condition.  It  cannot  endure  that  a  word  should  be  ut- 
tered, that  a  sentence  should  be  published,  in  favour  of 
their  elevation  to  freedom.  To  prevent  this  in  some  of 
the  slave  states,  the  most  strict  and  sanguinary  laws  have 
been  enacted,  subjecting  the  man  to  death  who  shall 
open  his  lips  in  favour  of  the  dumb ;  and  in  the  absence 
of  such  laws  in  others,  men  on  the  slightest  suspicion  of 
sympathy  for  the  down  trodd'en,  have  been  seized  by  in- 
furiated mobs,  and  under  mock  forms  of  justice,  treated 
with  barbarous  cruelty.  Not  satisfied  with  absolute  do- 
mination in  the  dark  land  of  the  slaves,  this  spirit  of  des- 
potism is  struggling  to  grasp  and  strangle  Liberty  in  the 
free  states,  and  to  subdue  all  things  to  itself.  The  public 
mail  has  been  broken  open  and  rifled  of  its  contents,  that 
every  thing  tending  to  enlighten  the  public  mind  on  the 
subject  of  Slavery  might  be  destroyed.  Printing  presses 
have  been  again  and  again  demolished,  and  their  editors, 
humane  and  noble-minded  men,  hunted  from  place  to 
place  by  blood-thirsty  assassins.  Peaceable  assemblies 
have  been  violently  assailed,  and  even  females  treated 
with  abuse,  because  they  wished  to  hear  any  thing  on 
this  subject.  Officers  of  colleges  have  been  driven  from 
the  seats  of  learning,  and  ministers-of  the  gospel  dragged 
from  the  altars  of  God,  because  they  testified  against 
this  oppression.  The  Legislatures  of  the  North  and 
East  hr.ve  been  loudly  called  on  by  those  of  the  South 
to  silence  effectually  all  discussion  of  this  subject.  In 
the  absence  of  such  laws,  large  premiums  have  been 
publicly  offered  by  slaveholders,  for  the  heads  of  such 
men  in  the  free  states  as  they  considered  most  forward 
and  able  in  advocating  the  duty  of  emancipation.  And 
now  when  the  Editor  of  the  "  Alton  Observer"  could  in 
no  other  way  be  silenced,  he  has  been  shot  down,  beside 
his  press,  which  slaveholders  and  their  abettors  greatly 


310  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

feared,  and  his  murderers  are  suffered  to  go  unpunished  ; 
because  the  officers  of  justice  either  sympathize  with,  or 
fear  their  vengeance.  Those  balls  which  pierced  his 
heart  were  aimed  at  the  heart  of  Liberty  !  Your  liberty 
and  mine  ;  and  intended  to  strike  every  one  dumb  who 
had  dared  to  advocate  the  rights  and  liberty  of  mankind. 
This  spirit  of  slaveholding  is  intolerant  of  all  opposition, 
however  mild,  and  breathes  out  threatenings  and  slaughter 
against  all  who  would  by  manly  expostulation,  induce  it 
to  relinquish  its  grasp  upon  the  throats  of  its  victims. 
What  it  has  done  to  Lovejoy  it  threatens  to  do  to  others, 
who  advocate  the  same  cause.  Is  it  not  then  violently 
intolerant  of  all  freedom,  which  interferes  in  the  least 
with  its  own  acts  of  unjust  and  cruel  oppression  ? 

Secondly,  The  Alton  tragedy  has  proved  that  by  the 
power  of  truth  the  encroachments  of  the  slaveholding 
spirit  upon  our  liberties,  may  be  effectually  resisted  and 
its  reign  every  where  in  due  season  terminated.  Why  are 
slaveholders,  and  those  who  sympathize  with  them,  so 
engaged  against  all,  who  by  speech  or  the  press,  publish 
and  animadvert  on  their  laws  and  usages  in  regard  to  the 
coloured  people  ?  Why  do  they  stone  public  lecturers, 
demolish  printing  presses,  and  offer  rewards  for  the 
heads  of  Abolitionists  ?  Why  have  they  imbued  their 
hands  in  the  blood  of  our  brother  ?  Why  are  they  so  highly 
exasperated  when  petitions  are  sent  in  to  Congress,  pray- 
ing for  the  termination  of  Slavery  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  and  threaten  the  dissolution  of  the  Union  if 
those  petitions  are  even  read  ?  Why  do  they  attempt  to 
strike  down  any  and  every  torch  which  throws  its  light 
upon  them,  as  would  a  company  of  evil-doers,  when  at 
midnight  suddenly  detected  in  the  midst  of  their  nefari- 
ous deeds  by  the  officers  of  justice  ?  It  is  my  friends, 
because  there  is  a  power  in  truth  which  the  slaveholding 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  311 

spirit  cannot  bear.  It  is  conscious  that  its  principles  are 
unsound,  that  its  doings  are  unjustifiable  ;  and  therefore 
will  not  come  unto  the  light  ;  will  not  suffer  the  light  to 
come  into  its  dark  and  hateful  dominions,  lest  it  should 
be  exposed  and  reproved.  False  statements  it  could 
easily  refute  ;  but  truth  is  endued  with  fearful  energy 
Before  the  power  of  speech  and  the  press  unrestrained, 
it  cannot  stand.  It  is  sensible  that  it  cannot,  and  is 
therefore  making  desperate  efforts  to  prostrate  and  tram- 
ple down  that  power.  If  it  fails  in  this  attempt  it  knows 
that  all  its  strongholds  must  be  battered  down  ;  that  its 
deeds  of  oppression  and  violence  must  be  abandoned. 
Let  the  light  of  truth,  then,  be  poured  upon  this  oppres- 
sive spirit  and  its  doings,  in  stronger  effulgence  than  ever. 
We  have  no  need  of  carnal  weapons  in  this  aggressive 
warfare  ;  let  the  light  of  truth  shine  as  it  ought  and  the 
spirit  of  slaveholding  will  die  of  itself;  nauseated,  con- 
vulsed, and  overwhelmed,  with  an  insupportable  convic- 
tion of  its  own  loathsomeness. 

Thirdly,  This  terrible  outbreaking  of  human  wrath  is 
furnishing  slaveholders  and  those  who  favour  their  cause 
with  evidence  which  must  convince  them,  if  not  infatua- 
ted, that  the  freedom  of  speech  and  of  the  press  cannot 
be  suppressed  by  violence.  True,  printing  presses  have 
been  and  may  again  be  destroyed,  an  editor  of  distin- 
guished worth  has  been  shot  down,  because  he  insisted 
on  the  rights  which  the  laws  of  his  country  had  guaran 
teed  to  him.  Other  editors  may  be  assassinated.  Bu» 
the  spirit  of  freemen  has  been  aroused,  and  an  abund- 
ance of  other  presses  are  ready  for  the  service  ;  ana 
other  editors,  talented,  high-souled,  and  self-sacrificing 
men  are  ready  to  succeed  to  the  place  which  the  hand 
of  violence  has  vacated.  When  men  contend  for  princi 
pie,  for  what  they  deem  their  sacred  and  inalienable  rights, 


312  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

threats  and  deeds  of  violence,  and  gag-laws  cannot  ef- 
fectually restrain  them ;  but  on  the  contrary,  they  call 
forth  the  mighty,  the  indomitable,  deathless  energies  of 
the  soul  to  make  more  determined  and  persevering  ef- 
forts. So  it  has  been  in  all  times  past ;  is  now,  and  ever 
will  be. 

Therefore,  finally,  We  trust  that  God  will  make  the 
wrath  of  man  exhibited  at  Alton,  eminently  instrumental 
of  accomplishing  the  downfall  of  Slavery.  The  whole 
subject  is  undergoing  a  new  examination,  and  the  true 
nature  of  it  is  being  better  understood.  Those  who  were 
previously  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  human  rights  are  fired 
with  new  zeal,  and  grasp  their  principles  with  stronger 
determination  to  defend  and  propagate  them.  New  friends 
are  coming  forth  to  enlist  in  the  cause,  and  more  will 
now,  probably,  be  effected  in  one  year  for  the  benefit  of 
the  down  trodden,  than  would  have  been  done  in  several, 
if  this  costly  sacrifice  of  our  brother's  blood  had  not 
been  poured  out  upon  the  altar  of  liberty — had  not  been 
shed  in  defence  of  his  and  our  sacred  rights.  And  on 
you,  free  men,  free  women,  and  free  children,  the  voice 
of  that  blood,  the  groan  of  millions  of  your  fellow-coun- 
trymen deprived  of  all  their  inalienable  rights,  the  men- 
aces and  outrages  of  slaveholders,  and  the  authority  of 
your  God,  are  all,  in  different  ways,  but  with  concentra- 
ted power,  calling  loudly,  that  you  see  that  no  man  de- 
prive you  of  your  proper  liberty,  or  be  suffered  to  en- 
croach upon  it  at  all ;  that  in  the  use  of  this  liberty  you 
never  encroach  on  that  of  others  or  give  countenance  to 
those  who  do  ;  but  boldly  plead  the  cause  of  the  oppress- 
ed; and  never  cease  from  an  enlightened,  benevolent,  most 
determined  and  vigorous  opposition  to  Slavery,  until  you 
shall  be  released  by  death,  or  Slavery  shall  be  extermi- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  313 

nated  from  the  world.     Truth,  benevolence,  and  equity, 
must,  and  will  prevail. 

I  would  speak  a  word  to  this  bereaved  mother,  and 
these  other  mourners,  on  whom  this  cruel  outbreaking  of 
wrath  has  burst  with  such  desolating  fury.  But  what 
can  I  say  ?  My  dear  friends  enter  into  the  secret  cham- 
bers of  divine  love  and  protection,  and  there  meditate  on 
the  character  and  government  of  God ;  commit  your- 
selves wholly  unto  him,  to  do  and  suffer  all  his  pleasure  ; 
and  you  will  be  sustained.  Forget,  as  much  as  possible, 
your  private  griefs,  and  think  of  the  excellent  character 
of  your  and  our  beloved  Elijah  ;  of  his  firmness  unto 
death  in  maintaining  truth  and  rectitude,  of  the  glory  to 
which  his  spirit,  so  devoted  to  God,  has  now  attained  ; 
of  the  honour  which  is  paid  to  his  memory  by  multitudes 
who  never  personally,  knew  either  you  or  him ;  which 
will  be  paid  by  true  patriots  and  philanthropists  in  coming 
ages  ;  of  the  immense  benefits  which  will  result  from  his 
martyrdom  ;  think  of  the  emotions  of  gratitude  and  praise 
to  God,  with  which  emancipated  millions  will  hereafter 
speak  of  his  sufferings  for  their  sake ;  of  the  happiness 
which  will  be  enjoyed  by  all  mankind,  when  Slavery 
shall  every  where  have  ceased,  and  paternal  love  shall 
prevail  among  all  the  races  of  the  great  family  of  man  , 
think  of  the  swiftly  approaching  day  when  you,  if  true 
Christians,  will  meet  all  the  martyrs,  indeed  the  whole 
company  of  the  redeemed  before  the  throne  of  God,  and 
lift  up  your  voices  with  them  in  everlasting  songs  of 
praise,  even  for  the  sufferings  through  which  you  are 
now  destined  to  pass  ;  and  you  must,  you  will  be  com- 
forted. Trust  my  friends  in  the  Lord,  for  in  the  Lord 
Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength.  He  will  cause  the  wrath 
of  man  to  praise  him,  and  the  remainder  of  wrath  he 
27 


314  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

will  effectually  restrain.     To  him  be  glory  and  dominion 
now  and  forever.     Amen." 

The  remainder  of  this,  and  the  following  chapter  will 
be  made  up  of  expressions  of  public  sentiment,  variously 
uttered,  in  relation  to  his  death  and  the  circumstances 
connected  with  it.  We  can  however  only  give  a  mere 
fraction  of  the  numerous  expressions  of  the  press  and  of 
public  meetings.  The  admirable  address  to  the  "  Citi- 
zens of  Alton"  is  from  an  unknown  hand.  It  was  sent 
to  New  York  with  the  name  and  place  of  the  author 
carefully  concealed.  The  gentlemen  whose  speeches 
are  inserted,  will  accept  our  sincere  thanks,  for  their 
"  sincere  tribute  of  a  swelling  heart." 


RESOLUTIONS  OF  PUBLIC  MEETINGS. 

BANGOR,  MAINE. 

AT  a  special  meeting  of  the  Bangor  City  Anti-Slavery 
Society,  November  27th,  1837.  Whereas  the  late  Rev. 
Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  of  Alton,  Illinois,  was  a  native  of  this 
state,  his  aged  and  excellent  mother  and  other  members 
of  the  family  being  still  resident  in  our  vicinity,  and  well 
known  to  at  least  many  of  us — 

Resolved,  That  in  our  judgment,  he  was  an  intelligent, 
talented,  upright,  noble-hearted  man  ;  a  sincere  and  con- 
sistent Christian ;  an  able,  independent,  and  faithful 
minister  of  the  Gospel ;  a  bold,  uncompromising  enemy 
of  oppression  in  all  its  forms  ;  a  self-sacrificing  friend 
and  defender  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  of  truth  and 
righteousness,  whose  name  and  whose  virtues  deserve  to 
be  embalmed  in  the  memory  of  every  friend  of  God  and 
man. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  315 

BELFAST,  MAINE. 

In  pursuance  of  a  notice  previously  given,  a  public 
meeting  was  holden  at  the  North  Church,  on  the  evening 
of  the  30th  of  November,  1 837,  for  the  discussion  of  reso- 
lutions expressive  of  the  sentiments  of  our  citizens,  rela- 
tive to  the  assassination  of  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy.  The 
Hon.  Alfred  Johnson  being  chosen  chairman,  and  B.  P. 
Field,  Jr.,  secretary.  The  following  resolutions  were 
reported  by  a  committee,  discussed  and  unanimously 
adopted. 

Resolved,  That  in  pursuance  of  the  public  notice 
which  called  this  meeting,  we  have  assembled,  not  as 
men  of  any  party,  civil  or  religious,  but  on  the  broad 
ground  of  American  citizenship,  to  pass  resolutions  in 
regard  to  the  topics  specified,  as  truth  and  the  good  of 
our  country  may  in  our  estimation  demand. 

That  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  a  highly  respected 
citizen,  recently  of  this  state,  who  was  on  the  7th  inst. 
assassinated  by  a  mob  at  Alton,  in  Illinois,  in  conse- 
quence of  an  attempt  on  his  part  to  protect  his  property, 
liberty,  and  life,  when  no  legal  protection  could  be  obtain- 
ed— has  fallen  a  martyr  in  defence  of  rights  which  are 
guaranteed  to  every  freeman  by  the  constitutions  of  the 
general  and  state  governments ;  rights  of  which  our 
country  has  made  her  highest  boast,  and  which  are  dear 
to  every  American  citizen. 

PLYMOUTH,    NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

Meeting  of  Abolitionists,  December  13th,  1837 
Resolved,  That  this  meeting  and  the  people  throughout 
this  land,  have  a  vital  and  solemn  interest  in  the  death  of 
the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  late  Editor  of  the  "  Alton  Ob- 
server," who  has  fallen  by  the  hands  of  our  countrymen, 


316  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

in  defence  of  the  liberty  of  the  press,  in  one  of  the  non 
slaveholding  states  of  this  republic. 

That  on  the  citizens  of  influence  and  office  in  Alton — 
on  "  the  property  and  standing"  of  that  bloody  little  city, 
and  not  on  the  poor,  infuriated  and  drunken  mob  who 
were  their  instruments,  rests  immediately  before  God 
and  impartial  human  judgment,  the  guilt  of  this  riot  and 
murder. 

That  the  only  preventive  of  these  mobs  which  now  out- 
rage the  whole  land,  and  threaten  to  prostrate  all  law  and 
security  at  their  ruffian  feet,  is  in  the  prevalence  and  tri- 
umph of  anti-slavery  principles — in  other  words — the 
Abolition  of  Slavery. 

DORCHESTER,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE,   ANTI-SLAVERY  SOCIETY. 

Resolved,  That  we  consider  the  conduct  of  the  Attor- 
ney-General, of  the  state  of  Illinois,  at  a  meeting  a  few 
days  previous  to  the  murder,  in  stating  publicly  that  Mr. 
Lovejoy,  would  be  killed  within  two  weeks,  worthy  of 
the  frowns  of  an  injured  community. 

That,  as  application  was  made  by  Mr.  Lovejoy  to  the 
Common  Council  of  Alton,  to  defend  his  person  and  pro- 
perty from  violence,  the  Council  by  refusing  to  comply 
with  his  request,  well  knowing  the  imminent  danger  to 
which  he  was  exposed,  are  guilty  of  his  blood. 

CHICHESTER,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  citizens  in  the  Congregational 
meeting-house,  December  14th,  1837. 

Resolved,  That  we  commend  the  decision,  firmness, 
and  courage  of  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy  in  his  endeavours 
to  establish  and  sustain  a  free  religious  press  at  Alton,  Illi- 
nois ; — who,  though  deserted  by  the  civil  powers,  which, 
by  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  state,  and  by  solemn 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  317 

oaths,  were  pledged  for  his  protection,  yet,  not  acting  for 
himself  merely,  but  in  behalf  of  insulted  humanity,  and 
the  liberty  of  speech  and  of  the  press,  and  in  behalf  of 
posterity, — nobly  withstood  unrighteous  and  murderous 
violence,  and  died  a  martyr  to  the  holy  cause  of  right, 
and  truth,  and  freedom. 

CONCORD,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

That  in  the  destruction  of  the  "  Alton  Observer,"  the 
freedom  of  conscience  and  of  religious  opinion  was 
assailed,  and  that  it  specially  behooves  the  PULPIT  and 
the  PRESS  to  lift  up  their  voices  in  vindication  and  defence 
of  that  freedom,  and  against  any  attempt  to  infringe  its 
full  exercise. 

That  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  the  blood  of  E.  P. 
Lovejoy  is  no  less  an  offering  in  behalf  of  the  constitu- 
tional rights  of  American  freemen,  than  it  is  in  behalf  of 
the  enslaved. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE  A.  S.  SOCIETY. 

Resolved,  That  our  beloved  brother,  the  late  E.  P. 
Lovejoy,  in  laying  down  his  life  in  vindication  of  his  just 
rights,  has  become  a  martyr  not  only  to  the  doctrines  of 
Abolition,  but  to  the  principles  of  law  and  order ;  and 
that  the  blow  aimed  at  him  in  the  destruction  of  his  life 
and  property,  has  struck  at  the  liberties  and  rights  of 
every  American  citizen,  and  of  every  human  being. 

That  the  persevering  determination  of  Mr.  Lovejoy  to 
publish  his  paper  at  Alton,  his  exposure  of  property  and 
life,  and  firm  resistance  even  unto  death,  of  the  outrageous 
and  murderous  attempts  to  destroy  his  press,  so  far  from 
a  spirit  of  obstinacy  and  reckless  defiance,  was  the  result 
of  a  duty  which  he  owed  to  the  principles  of  liberty,  the 
rights  of  conscience,  and  the  freedom  of  the  press,  and 
should  be  honoured  and  revered  by  every  Christian  and 

freeman. 

37* 


318  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

MARLBORO',  MASSACHUSETTS. 

That  we  view  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lovejoy,  who  lately  fell 
at  Alton,  Illinois,  without  reference  to  the  particular 
cause  in  which  he  was  engaged,  as  a  martyr  to  the  great 
and  inestimable  rights  of  the  freedom  of  the  press,  and 
freedom  of  discussion. 

PLYMOUTH,  MASSACHUSETTS,  ANTI-SLAVERY  SOCIETY. 

Resolved,  That  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
had  the  citizens  of  Alton  been  faithful  in  sustaining  the 
laws  of  the  land,  and  in  frowning  upon  the  conduct  of 
those  who  destroyed  the  press  of  Mr.  Lovejoy,  the  blood 
of  that  good  man  would  not,  as  it  now  does,  cry  to  Hea- 
ven for  vengeance,  on  those  who  have  been  accessary  to 
his  death. 

That  the  much  lamented  Lovejoy,  in  asserting  his 
undoubted  and  constitutional  right,  the  right  of  enjoying 
and  protecting  life,  liberty,  and  property,  in  refusing  to 
yield  to  the  threatening  dictation  of  a  blood-thirsty  mob. 
thereby  sacrificing  his  life  as  a  martyr  in  the  holy  cause 
of  Abolition,  deserves  a  name  to  be  held  in  everlasting 
remembrance. 

WASHINGTON    COUNTY,    NEW    YORK. 

That  the  martyrdom  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lovejoy.  had  no 
other  provocation  than  his  untiring  zeal  in  attempting  to 
continue  a  religious  newspaper,  whose  columns  were 
open  to  the  free  discussion  of  the  great  principles  of 
freedom  embodied  in  the  declaration  of  independence. 

That  all  those  citizens,  whether  in  the  editorial  chair 
or  elsewhere,  who  persist  in  representing  his  death  as  the 
consequence  of  the  rash  attempt  on  his  part,  to  establish 
an  Abolition  paper  on  the  frontier  of  Slavery,  are  either 
wilfully  ignorant,  or  wickedly  perverse. 


REV,  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  319 

«*       .       V  .        . 

COLOURED     CITIZENS    OF    NEW    YORK. 

Public  meeting,  November  23d,  at  the  Rev.  Theodore 
S.  Wright's  Church. 

Resolved,  That  we  most  cordially  respond  to  the  feel- 
ings and  views  embodied  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  Am.  A.  S.  Society,  touching  the  de- 
liberate and  brutal  murder  of  the  Rev.  Elijah  P.  Love- 
joy,  who  gave  up  his  life  on  the  7th  of  November,  in  sus- 
taining the  liberty  of  the  press  and  the  holy  principles  of 
Abolition,  to  which  he  was  honoured  of  God  to  become 
the  first  Martyr  in  this  nation. 

That  in  common  with  the  friends  of  law,  order,  and 
oppressed  humanity  of  our  nation,  we  solemnly  deplore 
and  mourn  the  loss  of  this  holy  and  able  advocate  of  the 
rights  of  man,  and  express  our  deep  and  heartfelt  sympa- 
thy for  his  heroic  wife,  who  has  been  thus  painfully  be- 
reaved of  a  kind  and  faithful  husband  ;  and  implore  the 
blessings  "of  the  God  of  the  oppressed,  to  descend  upon 
her,  and  her  dear  fatherless  children. 

PHILADELPHIA. 

At  a  large  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the 
Northern  Liberties,  held  on  the  evening  of  the  27th  in- 
stant, at  the  Temperance  Hall,  in  pursuance  of  a  call  of 
the  committee  of  arrangement  of  a  former  meeting,  held 
for  the  purpose  of  expressing  and  making  known  their 
sentiments  in  relation  to  the  late  murder  of  the  Rev.  E. 
P.  Lovejoy,  at  Alton,  Illinois,  for  the  great  crime  of 
maintaining  his  rights  as  an  American  citizen,  and  also 
for  the  purpose  of  expressing  their  opinions  in  relation 
to  the  right  of  free  discussion,  and  the  liberty  of  the 
press. 

After  an  address  by  Judge  Price,  it  was  unanimously 
Resolved,  That  the  right  of  free  discussion,  though 


320  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

guaranteed,  was  not  conferred  by  our  constitution  and 
laws  of  our  country,  but  that  it  is  the  gift  of  God,  and 
inherent  in  our  moral  nature,  and  therefore  a  right  which 
human  government  cannot  take  away. 

That  the  exercise  of  the  right  of  free  discussion  is 
essential  to  the  maintenance  and  security  of  our  other 
rights  ;  and  that  without  this,  other  rights  would  be  of 
little  value. 

That,  should  the  public  apathy  continue  to  give  tole- 
ration and  immunity  to  mobs,  while  their  fury  is  directed 
against  the  advocates  of  human  rights,  we  must  not  be 
surprised  when  artful  demagogues  shall  mount  the  whirl- 
wind and  direct  the  storm,  against  the  property,  the  peace, 
and  the  lives  of  other  portions  of  the  community. 

SUSQUEHANNAH,  PENNSYLVANIA  COUNTY. 

That  so  long  as  the  right  of  a  citizen  to  defend  his 
property,  himself,  and  his  country,  shall  be  acknowledg- 
ed, so  long  ought  the  noble  daring  of  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  and 
the  "  sublimity  of  his  heroism,"  to  awaken  universal  ad- 
miration, and  elicit  universal  applause. 

That  duty  to  his  country,  duty  to  the  cause  of  liberty, 
required  that  Mr.  Lovejoy  should  stand  thus  firmly  upon 
his  inalienable  rights,  and  in  yielding  up  his  life  in  obe- 
dience to  that  duty,  is  and  ought  of  right  to  be,  honoured 
as  a  martyr  in  the  cause  of  the  human  race. 

PORTAGE    COUNTY    ANTI-SLAVERY    SOCIETY. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  imperious  duty  of  all  who 
would  cherish  our  free  institutions  to  discountenance  in 
a  becoming  manner  the  high  handed  act  of  violence  and 
outrage. 

That  Mr.  Lovejoy  laid  down  his  life  in  a  cause  worthy 
of  so  noble  a  sacrifice,  the  cause  of  free  discussion,  of 
human  rights,  and  the  freedom  of  the  press. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  321 

That  his  name  should  ever  be  held  in  remembrance  as 
the  heroic  friend  and  devoted  advocate  of  those  free  in- 
stitutions, which  the  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  like  him, 
freely  laid  down  their  lives  to  establish  and  maintain. 
SALEM,  OHIO. 

This  meeting,  convened  without  distinction  of  sect  or 
party,  having  had  a  statement  of  the  late  riot  at  Alton, 
Illinois,  laid  before  it,  deems  it  advisable  that  an  expres- 
sion of  abhorrence  should  be  set  forth,  and  that  its  hum- 
ble voice  should  constitute  one  item  in  the  strong  effort 
now  being  made  to  arouse  the  sleepers,  (if  it  be  not  too 
late.) 

Resolved,  That  to  withhold  a  decided  expression  of 
disapprobation  regarding  the  Alton  tragedy,  is  virtually 
giving  it  our  sanction. 

That  we  pledge  ourselves  to  each  other  and  to  the 
community,  to  spare  no  exertions,  to  protect  men  in  their 
rights  when  pursuing  lawful  vocations,  and  to  vindicate 
the  supremacy  of  the  laws. 

That  when  an  individual  or  a  community  announces 
the  expectation  of  a  mob,  it  virtually  invites  one  ;  and 
that  there  has  rarely  been  a  riot  in  our  country  in  which 
the  instigators  and  actors  were  the  same  persons.  "  The 
people  will  be  excited."  "  We  shall  be  unable  to  prevent 
violence,"  with  similar  expressions,  are  significant,  and 
seldom  fail  to  produce  that  excitement  and  its  concomi- 
tants, which  they  cunningly  and  hypocritically  depre- 
eate. 

That  the  "  compromise"  meeting  at  Alton,  together  with 
the  course  of  the  Mayor  and  other  civil  authorities,  had 
the  direct  tendency  adverted  to  in  the  last  resolution. 

That  before  we  will  tamely  submit  to  have  our  lips  sealed 
at  the  bidding  of  mobocratic  despotism,  we  will  suffer  our 
bodies  to  be  immolated  on  the  spot  upon  which  we  may 


322  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

perish  contending  for  our  rights,  and  our  name  to  be  en- 
rolled with  that  of  E.  P.  Lovejoy,  as  martyrs  to  the 
cause  of  law,  of  liberty,  and  of  free  discussion 


VOICE  OF  THE  PRESS. 

THE  blood  of  Mr.  Lovejoy,  we  believe,  lies  at  the 
door  of  civil  authority.  They  have  slept  for  weeks  and 
months  over  the  heating  volcano,  and  they  knew  they 
were  doing  this  ;  and  they,  we  believe,  were  rather  will- 
ing it  should  be  so.  We  believe  Mr.  Lovejoy  has  fallen 
a  sacrifice  to  liberty,  and  that  the  voice  of  his  blood  will 
only  be  appeased  by  the  triumph  of  this  principle.  And 
we  can  cheerfully  add,  in  the  language  of  a  cotempo- 
rary,  "  Thus  died  the  first  martyr  in  the  cause  of  Aboli- 
tionism. Long  will  his  name  be  used  as  a  talisman  in 
that  cause,  and  the  mention  of  it  will  infuse  new  vigour 
into  its  swelling  ranks,  and  incite  its  votaries  to  renew- 
ed action  and  fresh  energies,  until  every  fetter  is  sunder- 
ed, and  every  chain  broken.  May  God  hasten  the  day." 
Maine  Wesleyan  Journal. 

The  hand  so  often  raised  to  bless,  lies  powerless  ;  the 
lips  which  moved  in  prayer,  will  move  no  more — his  spirit, 
so  gentle,  yet  so  firm,  is  happy  with  its  God.  His  af- 
fectionate wife,  who  so  lately  perilled  her  life  in  defend- 
ing his,  was  by  the  last  accounts  still  insensible — his 
children  are  fatherless,  and  their  mother  a  widow.  Who 
would  say  the  work  of  the  murderer  is  incomplete  ? 
They  desired  to  silence  him,  and  he  is  dead — and  the 
press  they  feared  is  destroyed.  And  yet,  though  Love- 
joy  has  earned  the  crown  of  martyrdom,  and  been  taken 
from  among  us,  he  speaketh,  and  in  a  voice  of  thunder 
that  shall  penetrate  where  his  living  voice  would  never 
have  been  heard — and  move  thousands  of  hearts  which 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  323 

his  arguments  never  could  have  moved. — Maine,  Port 
land  Transcript 

Mr.  Lovejoy  was  educated  in  this  vicinity,  and  was 
regarded  as  a  young  man  of  great  promise.  This  idea 
of  mobbing  and  killing  people  to  stop  the  freedom  of 
speech  and  of  the  press,  will  never  do  in  this  age  and 
country. — Gospel  Banner. 

The  curse  of  God  be  on  the  heads  of  the  INFERNAL 
mob.  This  will  do  more  for  the  Abolition  cause,  than 
could  a  score  of  presses  and  a  hundred  missionaries. 
Lovejoy  was  a  native  of  Albion,  Maine.  He  has  died  a 
martyr  in  the  cause  of  liberty  of  speech  and  the  press. — 
Belfast  Journal. 

A  martyred  Lovejoy  has  unloosed  the  tongues  of 
thousand^,  and  compelled  them  to  speak  out  for  God  and 
their  country.  That  oppressed  portion  of  our  fellow- 
men,  however  degraded  by  the  awful  curse  of  Slavery, 
for  whom  he  laboured,  have,  by  his  martyrdom  and  death, 
gained  a  phalanx  of  firm  and  decided  friends.  Instead, 
then,  of  being  disheartened,  let  the  friends  of  freedom 
and  the  press  arise  from  their  lethargy  ;  let  them  urge 
with  ten-fold  more  earnestness  the  cause  of  their  coun- 
trymen in  chains — let  the  PULPIT  lift  up  its  voice — let 
the  fervent  orisons  of  all  the  professed  followers  of  Him 
who  "  went  about  doing  good,"  ascend  on  high — let  every 
one  who  fears  God  and  loves  man,  be  filled  with  a  new, 
a  reanimating  impulse  to  press  forward  in  the  cause  of 
freedom,  until  every  chain  is  broken ;  and  soon  shall  we 
see  the  oppressed  delivered  out  of  the  hand  of  the  spoiler, 
and  our  country  saved  from  a  fearful  destiny. — Maine, 
Eastern  Baptist. 

The  civil  authorities,  to  their  deep  disgrace,  did  not 
attempt  to  shield  this  freeman,  battling  to  protect  the 
freedom  of  speech,  of  the  press,  and  of  all  the  eacred 


324  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

rights  secured  to  the  citizens  by  the  constitution  of  these 
United  States.  Lovejoy  was  a  man  of  talents,  piety,  and 
worth,  whose  untimely  fate  will  not  only  be  mourned  by 
all  who  knew  and  honoured  him,  but  it  will  long  be 
mourned  by  all  who  cleave  to  the  freedom  of  speech,  and 
of  the  press,  as  the  sheet  anchor  of  our  liberties. — New 
Hampshire  Courier. 

It  is  not  merely  for  the  murder  of  E.  P.  Lovejoy  as  a 
man,  the  image  of  God  smitten  down  by  the  hand  of 
fierce  wrath,  that  we  should  mourn  and  cry  aloud — but 
for  the  deadly  blow  struck  at  LIBERTY,  as  impersonated 
in  that  man,  for  the  violence  done  to  democratic  and 
Christian  principle,  for  the  outrage  committed  against 
rights,  inalienable  and  immutable,  the  birth-right  and 
possession  of  every  human  being.  Not  only  his  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel  been  martyred  for  attempting,  in 
meekness  and  firmness,  to  obey  the  departing  command 
of  the  Saviour — "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  evert/  creature" — but  the  dearest  and  holiest 
right  which  all  ministers  possess — freedom  of  speech — 
has  been  assailed.  Not  only  has  an  editor  been  mur- 
dered for  publishing  his  opinions,  but  the  press  through- 
out the  country  has  had  an  outrage  committed  on  it,  and 
the  rights  which  every  editor  possesses  have  been  rudely 
and  ruthlessly  violated. —  New  Hampshire,  Herald  of 
Freeman. 

The  refusal  of  the  civil  authorities  to  extend  efficient 
protection  to  Mr.  Lorejoy,  while  it  was  well  known  by 
those  authorities  that  his  life  was  sought,  and  in  immi- 
nent danger,  day  after  day,  and  week  after  week  ;  the 
Attorney-General  of  the  state  having  himself  declared, 
a  short  time  previous  to  the  actual  accomplishment  of 
he  tragical  event,  that  Mr.  Lovejoy  would  be  destroyed 
in  less  than  a  fortnight — the  neglect,  as  far  as  we  have 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  325 

heard,  in  the  same  authorities,  since  the  commission  of 
the  bloody  deed,  to  take  any  measures  for  bringing  the 
murderers  to  justice — the  wicked  hardihood  of  some 
public  journals  in  excusing  the  murderous  mob  from 
blame,  and  casting  the  responsibility  and  guilt  altogether 
upon  the  innocent,  butchered  victim — the  slight  manner 
in  which  many  others  pass  over  the  subject,  some  being 
quite  dumb  in  relation  thereto — the  extensive  insensi- 
bility of  our  citizens,  and  even  of  some,  if  not  many  pro- 
fessed Christians,  even  ministers — all  these  circum- 
stances, and  more  circumstances  than  these,  indicate  a 
danger  that  THIS  NATION  will  not,  by  thorough  repent- 
ance, and  by  executing  justice  upon  the  guilty,  put  away 
that  BLOOD  GUILTINESS  with  which,  in  the  sight  of  the 
just  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  it  is  now  so  deeply  stained. — 
New  Hampshire,  Morning  Star. 

He  died  in  defence  of  what  should  ever  be  dear  to 
American  citizens,  the  right  of  free  discussion,  subject 
to  the  law — but  in  a  portion  of  our  land,  the  law  has  no 
restraint.  We  hope  the  murderers  will  yet  be  identified 
and  punished.  It  should  be  remembered,  that  Bishop 
was  killed  previously  by  a  random  shot  from  the  castle 
— every  man's  house  is  his  own  castle — and  that  no  re- 
sistance with  fire-arms  was  made,  until  the  mob  had 
broken  the  windows  of  the  building,  fired  into  it,  and  at- 
tempted to  set  it  on  fire.  Had  half  a  dozen  been  killed, 
and  the  mob  so  dispersed,  it  would  have  been  perfectly 
justifiable,  and  far  better  than  that  one  man  should  have 
lost  his  life  in  defence  of  his  property,  and  constitutional 
rights. — New  Hampshire  Kecne  Sentinel. 

In  the  main,  the  tone  of  the  press  betokens  a  sound 
and  healthy  state  of  public  feeling.  In  some  few  in- 
stances the  comments  of  editors  have  been  little  short  of 
cold  blooded  apology  for  the  murderers.  If  we  mistake 
28 


326  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

not,  this  offering  of  blood  upon  the  altar  of  free  discus- 
sion, will  arouse  the  nation  to  a  just  sense  of  its  hitherto 
criminal  indifference  and  apathy  on  this  subject,  and  lead 
to  an  assertion  of  the  right,  thus  smitten  down  by  mob 
violence,  that  shall  forever  place  it  beyond  question. — 
Vermont  Argus. 

Thus  has  fallen — in  the  very  place  to  which  he  was 
invited — unprotected  by  "  the  friends  of  free  discussion" 
— in  a  free  state,  the  first  martyr  to  the  cause  of  human- 
ity. The  theatre  of  murders,  of  bloody  and  outrageous 
deeds  of  infamy,  has  been  transferred  from  Vicksburg 
to  Alton.  Let  this  place  be  forever  remembered — let  its 
name  be  written  in  the  catalogue  of  all  that  is  execrable 
— let  the  emigrant  avoid  it  as  he  values  his  liberty — let 
him  pass  by  on  the  other  side  of  this  Sodom  of  the  West, 
lest,  if  he  should  tarry  in  it,  the  wrath  of  insulted  heaven 
in  fire  and  water,  should  descend  and  destroy  the  place, 
with  its  wicked,  pusillanimous,  and  shameless  inhabit- 
ants, who,  like  base  cowards,  permitted  the  murder  of 
one  of  their  fellow-citizens.  There  can  be  no  excuse 
offered  on  their  part.  Their  duty  was  plain — they  should 
have  armed  themselves,  rallied  in  support  of  the  Mayor, 
and  shot  down,  without  ceremony,  the  first  and  every  in- 
vader of  the  rights  of  citizenship. — Vermont  Caledonian. 

The  murdered  Lovejoy  died,  a  MARTYR  to  the  FREE 
DOM  OF  THE  PRESS.     It   was   a   noble   cause.     Lookin» 

O 

upon  him  as  a  freeman,  bravely  labouring  for  the  right ; 
as  a  patriot,  taking  his  own  life  in  his  hands,  as  of  less 
consequence  than  the  establishment  of  one  of  the  dearest 
and  most  precious  blessings  of  our  free  constitution,  we 
would  embalm  his  memory,  and  plant  the  emblem  of  im- 
mortality to  grow  above  his  grave. 

As  a  patriot,  a  lover  of  the  constitution  and  laws  of 
his  country,  and  the  rights  of  freemen,  his  name  should 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  327 

be  written  beside  those  venerable  compeers  who  have 
battled  with  the  minions  of  corrupt  power,  and  the  doc- 
trines of  man's  inferiority. 

Why  was  it  that  Lovejoy  was  left  to  struggle  alone 
for  a  common  right  1  Where  were  the  executors  of  the 
law  ?  Where  the  Common  Council  of  Alton,  and  es- 
pecially the  Mayor,  its  chief  executive  officer  ?  The 
official  station  of  the  Mayor,  made  it  his  duty  to  exert 
himself  to  the  utmost  in  calling  out  the  moral  and  physi- 
cal force  of  the  city,  to  suppress  every  outbreak.  He 
should  have  aroused  the  Common  Council,  and  when 
hints  of  slaughter  were  openly  proclaimed,  .and  deeply 
muttered,  he  should  have  prepared  himself  for  a  vigorous 
defence — more — he  should  have  carried  the  war  into 
Africa,  and  seized  the  cold-blooded  villains,  who  were 
daily  threatening  to  trample,  rough  shod,  upon  the  rights 
of  property  and  life.  A  noble-hearted  freeman  should 
have  been  protected  in  the  assertion  and  exercise  of  his 
rights.  But  where  do  we  find  the  Mayor,  with  the  robes 
of  his  official  station  ?  and  how  employed  ?  Doing  the 
bidding  of  an  unlawful  mob — the  obedient  messenger, 
the  pliant  servant,  the  supple  attorney  for  the  destroyers, 
to  demand  of  a  free  citizen  a  surrender  of  property,  of 
liberty  and  principle,  or  be  murdered  on  the  spot !  How 
his  craven  heart  and  his  degraded  station,  and  violated 
oath  of  office,  must  have  blanched  his  cheek  with  the 
mantle  of  shame  and  disgrace,  when,  in  return  to  such  a 
demand,  he  received  the  spirit  stirring  and  noble  reply, 
that  they  had  assembled  to  protect  their  property  against 
lawless  violence,  and  were  determined  to  do  so.  A  Mayor, 
with  a  little  of  the  good  old  blood  of  our  revolutionary 
fathers,  would  sooner  have  breasted  the  storm  by  a  rally 
among  the  police,  and  his  chosen  friends,  and  laid  his 


328  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

body  upon  the  threshhold  of  the  store,  and  died  like  a 
patriot  in  defence  of  law  and  liberty. 

Let  him  occupy  the  niche  to  which  fame  now  points  ! 
— Vermont,  Brattleborough  Phoenix. 

We  have  to  record  this  week  one  of  the  most  atrocious 
and  cold-blooded  murders  ever  committed.  Rev.  E.  P. 
Lovejoy,  late  Editor  of  the  "  Alton  (Illinois)  Observer" 
— a  man  alike  distinguished  for  his  piety,  and  for  his 
devotion  to  the  sacred  cause  of  liberty — has  been  mur- 
dered by  a  brutal  mob.  No  crime  is  charged  against 
him — no  palliation  for  this  monstrous  outrage  is  to  be 
given — unless  firmly  and  fearlessly  to  advocate  the  sa- 
cred cause  of  the  oppressed,  is  a  crime  worthy  of  death, 
or  an  excuse  for  the  shedding  of  human  blood !  He  has 
fallen  a  martyr  in  the  cause  of  freedom — a  victim  of  the 
accursed  system  of  Slavery.  To  shed  his  blood,  slave- 
holders, or  their  emissaries,  invaded  the  limits,  disturbed 
the  peace,  and  violated  the  laws  of  a  free  state  ;  and  we 
fear  these  assassins  have  also  succeeded  in  making  their 
escape,  and  found  a  sanctuary  in  the  slave  state  of  Mis- 
souri. It  would  only  be  carrying  out  the  spirit  of  this 
atrocious  act,  should  the  government  of  Missouri  refuse 
any  aid  in  arresting  the  perpetrators.  But  we  shall  see. 
— Vermont  Watchman. 

Incarnate  fiends  and  assassins  have  robbed  a  wife  of  a 
husband,  children  of  a  father,  and  society  of  a  pure 
minded  man ;  for  what  ?  Because  he  stood  under  a 
shield  of  the  constitution,  and  defended  the  liberty  of  the 
press.  A  glorious  cause  to  die  in  !  Let  his  memory  be 
embalmed.  The  blood  of  that  innocent  man  will  not 
sink  into  the  ground.  It  will  be  required  at  the  hands 
of  all  those  who  have  raised  this  infernal  spirit  of  mob- 
ism  against  free  discussion  and  a  free  press.  The  blood 
of  a  murdered  Lovejoy  is  on  the  heads  of  those  men 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  329 

who,  on  the  17th  of  August,  1836,  assembled  in  Faneuil 
Hall,  to  vote  down  free  discussion,  and  whose  hands  af- 
terwards were  barely  stayed  from  being  reeked  in  the 
blood  of  Garrison.  Free  discussion  has  now  her  martyr, 
and  it  will  rouse  men  who  have  souls,  to  the  defence  of 
that  dearest  right,  as  did  the  murder  of  Morgan,  to  the 
defence  of  the  rights  of  free  citizens  against  a  secret 
despotism. — Boston  Daily  Advocate. 

Vicksburgh  has  for  some  time  enjoyed  a  pre-eminence 
of  murderous  notoriety;  but  Alton,  Illinois,  has  lately 
stepped  forward  to  dispute  this  unenviable  station,  and 
has  far  outrun  Vicksburgh  in  the  career  of  blood  and  in- 
famy. The  people  of  Vicksburgh  acted  under  a  sudden 
impulse  ;  the  people  of  Alton  are  responsible  for  a  de- 
liberate and  long  plotted  murder.  They  have  not  only 
violated  the  law,  they  have  trampled  also  upon  the 
rights  of  hospitality — in  every  honourable  mind,  more 
sacred,  if  possible,  even  than  the  laws  themselves. — 
Boston  Atlas, 

The  Moloch  of  America,  (Slavery,)  demands  the  sac- 
rifice of  a  citizen,  a  Christian,  a  philanthropist,  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel,  a  noble  defender  of  the  rights  of  man, 
and  straightway  it  is  given  by  his  devotees,  to  gratify  his 
ire,  which  burns  against  the  philanthropists  of  the  age. 
This  is  only  the  commencement.  The  spirit  of  Slavery 
demands  the  sacrifice,  not  only  of  the  rights  and  dearest 
privileges  of  American  citizens,  but  their  lives  and  their 
blood  also.  Silence  or  death  is  the  mandate  of  the  evil 
genius  of  Slavery.  Lovejoy  is  dead  !  May  his  mantle 
fall  upon  a  kindred  spirit,  who  shall  accomplish  the  work 
which  he  began.  We  trust  that  the  Abolitionists  of 
America  will  never  cease  their  efforts  till  a  free  press  is 
established  at  Alton,  which  shall  pour  forth  a  flood  of 
light,  that  will  scatter  the  midnight  darkness  now  hover- 
28* 


330  MEMOIR.    OF    THE 

ing  over  that  devoted  city.  From  thence,  may  a  light 
shine  out  and  blaze  upon  the  naked  conscience  of  every 
oppressor  and  mobocrat  in  the  land.  There  may  the 
spirit  of  Lovejoy  live,  and  still,  by  his  example,  his  suf- 
ferings, and  blood,  continue  to  speak  in  tones  of  thunder 
to  this  nation,  till  every  heart  is  made  to  quail  before  the 
omnipotent  truth  in  the  defence  of  which  he  died. — 
Boston  Christian. 

Do  you  ask  why  these  men  hated  Mr.  Lovejoy  so  1 
It  was  not  so  much  because  they  hated  him,  as  because 
they  wished  to  please  the  slaveholders,  that  they  killed 
him.  He  believed  it  was  wicked  to  hold  slaves,  and  he 
tried  to  convince  all  the  readers  of  the  "  Observer"  thai 
the  slaves  had  a  right  to  their  liberty.  This  was  the 
truth  ;  but  those  who  love  Slavery  were  not  willing  to 
have  the  truth  told.  They  therefore  destroyed  the 
presses,  and  murdered  the  man  who  dared  to  use  them, 
to  publish  such  truths. 

We  see  by  this  that  the  spirit  of  slave-holding  is  the 
spirit  of  murder.  The  tyrants  of  Europe  and  Asia  are 
not  willing  to  have  men  print  what  they  please,  for  fear 
their  subjects  should  become  wise  enough  to  know  that 
they  have  a  right  to  be  free.  But  in  this  case,  the  peo- 
ple in  a  state  called  FREE,  unite  in  killing  a  man  for 
publishing  facts  about  Slavery  in  another  state. — Boston 
Cabinet. 

Another  noble  heart  is  added  to  the  angel  choir  above, 
who  lean  eagerly  from  their  high  sphere  to  watch  our 
course  and  cheer  us  onward,  in  the  deliverance  of  the 
slave.  We  have  been  too  tame  and  too  slow.  Oh! 
shall  the  blood  of  this  first  martyr  sink  into  the  earth  for 
nought  ?  No.  Let  the  anti-slavery  presses  thunder 
anew,  and  louder  than  ever !  Let  all  those  who  have 
hung  back  from  prudential  motives  now  come  up  to  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  33] 

help  of  the  Lord  and  show  what  side  they  are  on — let 
them  boldly  assert  their  principles,  in  the  pulpit,  in  the 
domestic  circle,  and  in  the  public  streets,  until  the  whole 
country  is  agitated  from  Maine  to  New  Orleans,  until  the 
bloody  south  reels  and  trembles  beneath  the  shock  as  if 
an  earthquake  rent  her  unhallowed  borders.  Let  us  in- 
sist strenuously  and  more  strenuously  than  ever  that  our 
captive  brethren  shall  be  free.  The  manacled  hands  of 
those  dusky  millions  are  raised  to  Heaven  in  earnest 
prayer  for  one  breath  of  that  sweet  LIBERTY  about  which 
our  native  orators  are  howling  in  the  public  halls,  as  if 
in  mockery  of  .their  fettered  countrymen.  Let  not  the 
widow's  tears  be  dry  before  those  chains  are  riven — let 
not  the  moans  of  the  fatherless  be  hushed  before  this 
high-handed  and  damning  enormity  is  swept  from  our 
land.  The  disenthralled  spirit  of  Lovejoy  is  hovering 
around  us  as  we  write,  and  a  voice  from  his  tomb  cries, 
ONWARD!  THE  TIME  is  COME! — Boston  Wanderer. 

What  freeman — who  but  a  savage,  or  cold-hearted 
murderer  would  now  go  to  Alton  1  Meanness,  infamy, 
and  guilt  are  attached  to  the  very  name.  Hereafter, 
when  a  criminal  is  considered  too  base  for  any  known 
punishment,  it  will  be  said  of  him — "  he  ought  to  be  ban- 
ished to  Alton  ;"  or,  "  he  ought  to  be  banished  to  a  place 
as  vile  and  infamous  as  Alton" — a  place  where  freedom 
is  disowned — where  the  defenders  of  freedom  are  mur- 
dered by  the  consent  of  the  inhabitants — where  the  in- 
habitants themselves  are  land  pirates — where  the  Attor- 
ney-General, the  representative  of  the  state,  instead  of 
bringing  criminals  to  judgment,  encourages — spurs  them 
on,  to  the  perpetration  of  the  foulest  crimes,  the  basest 
murder;  and  the  Mayor  of  the  city  sits  as  a  judge  advo- 
cate for  the  mob. — Massachusetts  Lynn  Record. 

The  press  throughout  the  country,  ought  to  raise   its 


332  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

voice  against  the  conduct  of  the  Mayor  of  Alton,  during 
the  late  riot  at  that  place.  Taking  his  own  account  of 
the  transaction,  he  is  an  accessary  before  the  fact,  as 
well  as  at  the  very  time  of  its  perpetration  to  the  horrid 
crimes  of  ARSON  and  MURDER.  Not  only  did  he  neglect 
to  exert  his  authority,  and  the  authority  of  the  law  to  quell 
the  riot — but  he  identified  himself  with  the  mob,  by  be- 
coming their  messenger,  to  ask  of  Lovejoy  and  his  asso- 
ciates the  surrendering  of  their  property  and  their  rights, 
and  to  threaten  them  with  the  consequences  which 
ensued,  if  they  failed  to  comply.  Is  he  not,  then,  as 
guilty  as  the  worst  incendiary  present  on  that  fearful 
occasion. — Worcester  Republican. 

Mr.  Lovejoy  was  a  clear  and  vigorous  writer ;  open, 
manly,  and  fearless  in  the  declaration  of  his  sentiments, 
active  and  industrious  in  editorial  labours.  He  was 
guilty  of  few  errors,  except  such  as  arose  from  the  too 
great  haste  of  a  benevolent  heart,  intent  on  doing  good, 
and  ready  to  sacrifice  self  for  its  accomplishment.  The 
St.  Louis  Observer,  which  he  established  and  conducted 
to  its  close,  was  a  paper  of  more  than  usual  interest.  He 
engaged  warmly  in  the  controversy  with  the  Roman 
Catholics.  He  stated  that  the  true  cause  of  the  hostility 
against  him  was,  his  opposition  to  Popery  ;  and  that  the 
charge  of  Abolitionism  was  fabricated  as  an  excuse  for 
the  attack,  and  as  a  means  of  exciting  odium  against  him. 
— New  York  Observer. 

Where  were  the  civil  energies  of  Alton  ?  Where  was 
their  regard  for  American  character  ?  Where  their 
regard  for  the  cause  of  the  slave,  the  liberty  of  the  north, 
the  rights  of  man,  and  the  laws  of  God  ?  Where  was 
the  Mayor  in  this  hour  of  peril  ?  According  to  his  own 
self-condemning  evidence,  waiting  with  imbecility  or 
connivance  to  behold  the  sacrifice,  siding  with  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  333 

assailants,  and  meanly  asking  the  property  to  be  given 
up  as  the  only  price  of  peace.  But  where  was  the  vic- 
tim— where  the  devoted  Lovejoy  ?  In  his  place,  ready 
to  be  offered.  He  stood  forth  an  American  citizen,  and 
in  the  assertion  and  exercise  of  all  the  great  rights  of 
man,  he  fell  a  martyr  to  the  liberty  of  the  press,  and  to 
the  cause  of  the  slave,  in  the  land  of  the  free  !  Was  it 
for  this  that  Washington,  Hancock,  Franklin,  Jefferson, 
Adams,  Henry,  and  Lafayette  (peace  to  the  ashes  of  the 
Frenchman  !  he  died  in  season)  toiled  and  bled  ?  Was 
it  for  this  that  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
signed,  and  a  government  organized  which  guarantees  to 
every  citizen  the  inalienable  rights  of  LIFE,  LIBERTY, 
AND  THE  PURSUIT  OF  HAPPINESS  ? — New  York  Evangelist. 

It  now  remains  to  be  seen,  whether  the  perpetrators  of 
this  atrocious  crime  will  be  made  to  pay  the  penalty  of 
life,  or  whether  they  will  be  suffered  to  go  unpunished. 
If  the  latter,  then  we  may  truly  say  that  the  rights  of 
American  citizens  are  but  a  name  ;  that  our  laws  are  in- 
adequate to  the  protection  of  life  and  property,  or  even 
to  the  vindication  of  their  own  majesty  against  trans- 
gressors. 

Mr.  Lovejoy  we  understand,  was  a  man  of  excellent 
character  and  moral  worth  ;  and  the  only  fault,  it  is  pre- 
sumed, which  his  murderers  could  allege  against  him, 
was,  that  he  was  an  Abolitionist,  and  was  determined  to 
publish  an  Abolition  paper  at  Alton.  It  ought  to  be  re- 
collected, however,  that  he  had  once  changed  his  place 
of  publication  in  consequence  of  popular  excitement, 
having  established  his  paper  originally  at  St.  Louis. 

The  enemies  of  Abolition  must  be  very  stupid  indeed, 
if  they  expect  to  put  it  down,  in  this  free  country,  by  mob 
violence,  and  especially  by  assassination  and  murder. 
The  old  maxim,  that  "  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the 


334  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

seed  of  the  church,"  is  just  as  true  in  the  case  of  Aboli 
lion,   and  for  similar   reasons. — New  York  Journal  of 
Commerce. 

For  our  own  part,  we  approve,  we  applaud,  we  would 
consecrate,  if  we  could,  to  universal  honour,  the  conduct 
of  those  who  bled  in  this  gallant  defence  of  the  freedom 
of  the  press.  Whether  they  erred  or  not  in  their  opinion, 
they  did  not  err  in  the  conviction  of  their  rights  as  citi- 
zens of  a  democratic  government,  to  express  them  ;  nor 
did  they  err  in  defending  this  right  with  an  obstinacy 
which  yielded  only  to  death  and  the  utmost  violence. — 
Evening  Post. 

We  loathe  and  abhor  the  miserable  cant  of  those  that 
talk  of  Mr.  Lovejoy  as  guilty  of  "  resisting  public  opi- 
nion." Public  opinion,  forsooth !  What  right  have  rive 
hundred  or  five  thousand  to  interfere  with  the  lawful  ex- 
pression of  a  free  man's  sentiments  because  they  happen 
to  number  more  than  those  who  think  with  him  ?  We 
spurn  the  base  tyranny — this  utter  denial  of  all  rights, 
save  as  the  tender  mercies  of  a  mob  shall  vouchsafe 
them.  If  Mr.  Lovejoy's  views  were  erroneous,  let  them 
be  refuted  ;  if  his  motives  were  corrupt,  (but  this  is  not 
pretended,)  let  them  be  exposed  and  contemned ;  if  his 
actions  were  unlawful,  let  them  be  lawfully  punished. 
But,  right  or  wrong,  none  of  these  were  better  or  worse 
for  the  fact  that  they  were  unacceptable  to  the  majority. 
He  had  as  perfect  and  absolute  a  right  to  proclaim  and 
defend  his  sentiments  in  Illinois,  where  nine-tenths  may 
be  opposed  to  them,  as  though  all  were  enthusiastic  in 
their  favour  ;  and  he  who  would  deny  or  in  the  least  de- 
gree abridge  this  right,  is  an  enemy  to  freedom,  and  a 
hypocrite  if  he  dare  pretend  to  republicanism. — New 
Yorker. 

The  blow  by  which  Mr.  Lovejoy  fell,  was  aimed  not 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  335 

at  him  only.  His  body  was  cut  down  merely  because 
it  stood  between  the  PRESS  and  the  weapon  raised  for  its 
destruction.  But  that  blow  has  fallen  upon  every  press 
in  this  nation.  And  the  DEATH  OF  THAT  MAN  CALLS 

WITH  A  THOUSAND  TONGUES,  IN  TRUMPET  TONES  UPON 

THE  PRESS  for  redress.  Surely  no  one  can  doubt  for  a 
moment,  but  a  corrupted,  time-serving  press,  has  created 
that  state  of  feeling  which  has  resulted  in  this  tragical 
event,  especially  when  it  is  seen  how  such  papers  as  the 
Courier  and  Enquirer,  the  New  York  Gazette,  and  some 
others,  speak  of  this  horrid  outrage,  calling  it  an  Aboli- 
tion mob,  and  throwing  the  whole  blame  upon  the  mur- 
dered Lovejoy.  —  New  York  Zion's  Watchman. 

A  GREAT  MAN  HAS  FALLEN. — The  martyrdom  of  the 
Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy  has  excited  among  our  brethren  a 
spirit  of  holy  ambition  and  action,  calculated  to  emanci- 
pate a  world.  The  combined  powers  of  all  the  embodied 
and  disembodied  tyrants  in  the  universe,  cannot  withstand 
it.  The  enlightened  abhorrence  of  our  people,  to  op- 
pression of  every  kind,  will  be  a  powerful  engine  in  ex- 
pelling Slavery  and  caste,  from  our  otherwise  favoured 
land. 

Coloured  men  cannot  be  enslaved  nor  oppressed  much 
longer  in  America.  Slavery  and  oppression  are  exotics, 
which  can  never  become  indigenous  in  an  American 
climate,  nor  soil.  They  may  be  forced  for  a  while,  but 
the  time  must  of  necessity  be  short. — New  York  Coloured 
American. 

The  issue  is  now  fairly  made  up,  whether  the  laws  or 
the  mob  is  to  prevail — whether  the  press,  so  long  the 
boasted  palladium  of  our  liberties,  is  to  be  the  sport  of 
popular  passion,  or  whether  it  shall  be  protected  and 
secured  by  the  laws. 

Mr.   Lovejoy  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  high 


336  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

character  and  worth.  As  an  Abolitionist  he  had  the  same 
right  to  print  and  publish,  as  the  advocates  of  Slavery. 
We  trust  this  horrid  transaction  will  not  be  allowed  to 
sleep  without  some  more  general  and  formidable  expres- 
sions of  public  feeling  than  mere  newspaper  notices, 
important,  as  they  certainly  are.  The  innocent  blood 
shed  at  Alton,  unavenged,  must  remain  an  indelible  na- 
tional stain. 

The  whole  country  will  be  held  responsible  for  it 
abroad,  and  who  that  has  the  spirit  of  a  man,  but  must 
hang  his  head  and  blush,  when  he  reflects  that  in  this 
vaunted  land  a  ferocious  mob  may  violate  with  impunity 
all  the  private  and  personal  rights  of  a  peaceable  citi- 
zen— shoot  him  down  as  they  would  a  wild  beast — fire 
his  house,  and  save  his  family  and  friends  from  indis- 
criminate slaughter  only  on  condition  of  private  obe- 
dience to  its  demands  !  Shame  be  to  us,  if  we  let  this 
thing  pass  !  —  Newark  Daily  Advertiser. 

ALTON  MASSACRE. — The  thrill  of  sensibility  which 
seems  to  have  been  produced  by  the  murder  of  Rev.  E. 
P.  Lovejoy,  at  Alton,  has  called  forth  from  every  part  of 
the  land,  a  burst  of  indignation  which  has  not  had  its 
parallel  in  this  country  since  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
1775.  One  thing  which  appears  from  looking  over  our 
exchange  papers,  has  struck  us  with  amazement,  and  that 
is,  that  the  most  decided  expressions  of  disapprobation 
and  abhorrence  of  the  dead  are  from  the  slavehoJding 
states.  With  a  large  list  of  southern  papers  before  us, 
we  find  not  one  attempt  at  an  apology  for  the  murderous 
outrage.  The  only  apologists  for  it  are  found  in  our 
northern  cities,  and  among  editors  who  have  a  circula- 
tion at  the  south,  and  some  others  who  have  a  pecuniary 
interest  in  retaining  the  favour  of  southern  customers. 

The  question,  whether  law  or  mobs  shall  rule,  must  be 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY-  337 

decided.  And  if  the  blood  of  Warren  flowed  not  guiltily 
forth  on  Bunker's  Hill,  in  resisting  the  despotism  of 
England,  the  very  angels  of  freedom  must  have  hovered 
around  Lovejoy  as  the  warm  current  of  his  heart  ebbed 
away,  in  resistance  to  the  infinitely  worse  despotism  of 
lawlessness  and  mobs.  The  right  of  discussing  the 
subject  of  Slavery  is  now  the  very  Thermopylae  of  Ameri- 
can freedom.  Let  this  right  be  surrendered,  and  what 
comes  next  ?  Why,  the  Whig  or  the  Tory  press  must 
be  silenced  by  the  voice  of  the  ruling  party,  or  torn  down 
by  riotous  mobs  ;  and  the  politician  must  count  the 
people  before  he  can  dare  to  attack  or  defend  the  bank  ; 
and  then  Unitarian  churches  must  blaze  before  orthodox 
mobs,  or  evangelical  piety  flee  away  before  the  success- 
ful riots  of  infidelity.  Our  liberties  hinge  upon  the  de- 
cision of  this  question.  We  ought  to  be  ready  to  sacri- 
fice every  thing  that  is  dear  in  life,  rather  than  in  such 
an  hour  as  this  to  shrink  from  duty.  Life  without  liberty 
is  of  little  worth  ;  and  if  we  cannot  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  speaking  freely  and  of  writing  freely,  we  ought  like 
Lovejoy,  freely  to  die. — Boston  Recorder. 
29 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


TO  THE  CITIZENS  OF  ALTON. 

YEARS  have  elapsed  since  I  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of 
your  then  infant  settlement.  Since  then  I  have  never 
ceased  to  feel  a  lively  interest  in  your  prosperity.  Most 
gratifying  have  been  the  reports  of  your  growing  wealth 
and  commerce,  and,  especially,  of  your  liberality,  correct 
morals,  and  enlightened  public  sentiment.  Should  the 
domestic  institutions  of  bordering  states  ever  enfeeble  in 
them  the  spirit  of  freedom,  among  you,  it  was  hoped,  she 
would  still  be  found  vigorous  and  hardy  as  your  own 
giant  youth.  Against  the  invasion  of  servile  sentiment, 
here,  it  was  presumed,  would  be  an  impregnaole  barrier 
— here,  the  rights  of  man  were  to  find  a  sanctuary,  the 
persecuted  of  any  name,  or  of  however  delusive  a  creed, 
were  to  obtain  constitutional  protection.  Should  the 
lights  of  American  liberty  elsewhere  grow  dim,  amid 
your  wild  cliffs  her  torch  was  still  to  burn,  as  brightly  as 
on  Bunker's  heights,  or  the  Plymouth  Rock.  These  an- 
ticipations, in  sorrow,  not  in  anger  I  say  it,  are  no  more. 
They  have  been  most  cruelly  swept  away.  The  asso- 
ciations connected  with  you,  in  the  public  mind,  I  need 
not  tell  you,  are  sadly,  fearfully  changed  ;  the  bright 
colours  have  faded,  and  dark,  and  dismal,  and  bloody 
hues  are  on  them.  A  tumultuary,  lawless,  fanatic  power, 
overmastering  or  overawing  the  civil  authority,  enslaving 
public  sentiment — paralyzing  the  public  conscience — 
freezing  with  fear  the  sympathies  of  even  the  generous . 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  339 

the  intelligent,  and  the  good,  and,  with  a  few  noble  ex- 
ceptions, making  the  mind  of  your  whole  city  hold  its 
breath,  and  crouch  in  silence  before  it — ferocity  victorious 
over  right,  brute  force  over  free  opinion — a  gang  of  ruf- 
fians claiming  to  be  regulators  of  speech  and  the  press, 
usurping  the  name  of  the  people,  and  grasping  in  the 
same  polluted  clutch,  the  functions  of  accuser,  judge, 
and  executioner — "  making  night  hideous"  with  their 
loathsome  triumph — in  the  presence  of  unresisting  mul- 
titudes, demolishing  buildings,  firing  your  city,  publicly 
murdering  an  American  citizen  for  the  crime  of  exercis- 
ing rights,  most  sacredly  guaranteed  to  him  by  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  and  the  state  of  Illinois — 
and  finally,  with  fiendish  malignity,  and  a  meanness  more 
than  fiendish,  in  violation  of  their  express  stipulations, 
firing  upon  the  unarmed  and  unresisting.  Such  are  the 
images  that  now  start  at  the  name  of  ALTON.  Are  they 
mere  horrid  phantoms  ?  Would  to  God  they  were 
so.  Oh,  no !  they  have  left  enduring  memorials  in 
broken  hearts,  bereaved  infancy,  and  untimely  graves  — 
they  have  left  a  community  disgraced,  freedom  of  speech 
awed  into  silence,  and  the  majesty  of  law  trampled  under 
foot.  In  the  dishonour  of  the  American  name,  in  the 
wound  given  to  the  cause  of  universal  liberty,  and  the 
outraged  feeling  of  mankind,  they  have  left  abiding  mon- 
uments. The  muse  of  history  turns  aside  her  head, 
and  weeps,  as  she  chronicles  in  crimson  the  record. 

I  doubt  not,  you  generally  regret,  as  sincerely  as  I  do, 
the  guilty  acts  that  have  been  perpetrated  among  you, 
and  it  is  far  from  my  wish,  in  thus  addressing  you,  by 
exaggerated  statement,  or  high-wrought  colouring,  to 
swell  that  tide  of  reprobation  and  abhorrence,  that  is  set- 
ting in  upon  you  from  the  wise  and  good  in  all  parts  of 
our  land,  and  which,  I  doubt  not,  will  be  increased  by 


340  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

the  indignant  sentiment  of  all  liberal  Europe.  Such  an 
attempt  would  be  most  idle.  No  language  can  exagger- 
ate the  naked  atrocity  of  the  facts — no  oratory  can  deepen 
the  dark  colours  of  the  truth.  Amplification  would 
enfeeble — the  simple  statement  is  the  strongest — the 
plainest  narrative  the  most  condemning.  But  to  inflame 
public  odium  is  as  far  from  my  wish,  as  from  my  power. 
For  you  as  a  people,  I  have  ever  cherished  sentiments 
of  kindness  and  well  wishing.  And  vindictive,  indeed, 
must  be  the  temper  that  would  add  to  the  griefs  or  dis- 
grace of  your  position.  Other  towns  can  often  look  back 
with  pride  to  their  early  history,  and  relumine,  in  the 
associations  of  the  past,  the  waning  love  of  liberty  and 
truth.  Boston  has  her  Faneuil  Hall,  Charleston  her  Fort 
Moultrie  ;  but  Alton  must  wear  it  upon  her  escutcheon, 
in  characters  imperishable  as  the  rocky  bluffs  around 
her — that  in  her  early  youth  she  crouched,  before  not 
one,  but  an  hundred  masters,  that  in  her,  freedom  of 
speech  found  its  first  American  martyr — that  slio  did  all, 
than  in  her  immaturity  and  feebleness  she  could  do,  to 
bury  freedom  of  the  press,  and  with  it,  the  American  Con- 
stitution, in  a  bloody  grave.  The  sacrifices  of  life  may 
have  been  small — that  of  principle  was  mighty — the  in- 
famy of  it,  not  the  tide  of  all  coming  years,  nor  the  flow 
of  your  ever-rolling  Mississippi  can  wash  away.  Upon 
the  internal  and  domestic  situation,  to  which  you  seem 
to  have  sealed  yourselves  by  this  act,  I  can  reflect  only 
with  pity  and  horrour.  Deep  and  cruel  as  may  have  been 
the  injury  done  to  your  country  and  your  kind — the  first 
and  bitterest  fruits  you  must  reap  in  your  own  bosom. 
Living  in  a  community  without  law,  with  a  blood-baited 
and  fanatical  populace  for  your  masters,  with  the  fatal 
evidence  before  you,  that  that  populace  can  be  restrained 
in  the  course  of  its  impulses  by  no  right,  human  or  di- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  341 

vine,  but  are  ready  upon  provocation  to  waste  your  city 
with  arson  and  murder — the  condition  you  exhibit  is 
most  deplorable.  But  add  to  this  the  fact,  that  that  pop- 
ulace have,  many  of  them,  brought  upon  themselves  the 
guilt  and  frenzy  of  murder,  and  have  placed  themselves 
in  a  situation  which  requires  the  perpetual  prostration  of 
law,  and  the  permanent  ascendancy  of  the  mob,  in  order 
to  their  personal  safety — and  the  frightfulness  of  the 
picture  is  consummate.  >  »( 

Nor  do  I  address  you,  because  I  think  that  with  you 
the  principles  of  liberty  and  morality  are  peculiarly  un- 
sound, or  that  popular  depravity  with  you  is  without 
parallel.  Alas,  it  finds  guilty  fellowship  in  but  too  many 
places  in  our  land.  But  the  outrage  perpetrated  among 
you  was  one  of  aggravated  enormity — both  as  it  regards 
the  individual,  and  principles  sacrificed.  It  was  no 
gambler,  no  ruffian,  no  malefactor  defying  or  evading 
justice,  whose  blood  is  upon  your  hands.  It  was  not  a 
case  where  an  indignant  populace,  in  the  impulse  of  an 
evil  hour,  inflicted  a  vengeance,  dueJx)  its  object,  though 
rendering  the  avengers  more  guiltynhan  the  victim.  It 
had  not  even  the  miserable  justification  of  those  instances, 
where,  in  a  zeal  for  justice,  all  justice  is  trampled  under 
foot,  and  in  punishing  one  crime,  are  committed  a  thou- 
sand. It  was  a  man,  in  the  eye  of  human  law,  without 
reproach,  a  man  of  undoubted  piety,  and  giving  evidence 
of  a  devotion  sincere,  however  misguided  you  may  have 
deemed  it,  to  the  great  cause  of  human  rights — a  man 
wrong,  if  wrong  at  all,  only  in  his  views  of  a  great  moral 
question,  and  in  the  fearless  expression  of  those  views — 
a  man  who,  however  imprudent  or  misjudging  you  may 
hare  thought  him,  you  must  at  least  acknowledge  could 
not  be  deterred  by  self-sacrifice,  or  intimidated  by  the 
fury  of  the  multitude,  or  seduced  by  popular  opinion  from 
29* 


342  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

supposed  duty,  but  who  dared  in  the  assertion  of  the 
right  even  to  die — it  is  for  shedding  the  blood  of  such  a 
man,  that  mankind  hold  you  responsible.  There  was 
too  at  stake,  not  individual  rights  only,  but  vast  princi- 
ples. Whether  our  General  and  State  Constitutions, 
with  their  solemn  guarantees,  should  be  of  sovereign 
authority,  or  a  mere  splendid  delusion  and  a  snare,  was 
in  controversy.  Moreover,  he  who  strikes  at  the  free- 
dom of  speech,  is  guilty  of  treason,  not  only  to  his  coun- 
try, but  to  his  kind  ;  he  strikes  at  the  great  means  to  the 
ultimate  triumph  of  truth,  and  the  anticipated  improve- 
ment of  the  human  race.  It  is  these  considerations — 
that  the  atrocity  committed  among  you  was  provoked  by 
no  crime — that  you  made,  as  far  as  you  could,  a  solemn 
oblation  of  the  principles  of  universal  liberty  and  of  the 
future  hopes  of  the  race,  upon  the  same  ensanguined 
altar,  that  sink  your  hitherto  fair  fame  far  below  the  infa- 
mous murders  of  Vicksburg  and  St.  Louis. 

Before  entering  upon  the  question  of  responsibility  foi 
the  past  events,  permit  me  to  remark,  what  should  per- 
haps have  been  premised  before,  that  in  addressing  the 
people  of  ALTON  in  general,  I  do  not  mean  to  embrace, 
in  any  censure  implied,  that  NOBLE  FEW,  that  to  the 
utmost  of  their  ability,  defended  the  rights  of  the  citizen, 
and  the  majesty  of  the  law.  To  them,  I  would  accord 
my  humble  tribute  of  respect  and  gratitude.  From  my 
heart  I  thank  them,  that  they  succumbed  not  to  the  fanati- 
cism of  the  populace,  and  the  despotic  ferocity  of  force. 

There  are  two  means  of  preventing  popular  outrages, 
moral  influence,  and,  in  the  last  resort,  physical  force. 
The  former  is  the  more  humane,  and  generally  the  safer 
and  more  efficient  expedient,  but  where  it  fails,  we  must 
have  recourse  to  the  latter,  or  permit  society  to  be  broken 
up.  Let  me  then  ask  of  the  people  of  Alton,  are  you 


REV.   E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  343 

satisfied,  that  in  the  use  of  both  these  means  you  have 
fully  discharged  your  duty  ?  The  approach  of  the  evil 
was  deliberate  and  gradual,  and  gave  full  opportunity  for 
the  use  of  moral  preventives.  Public  meetings  had  been 
held,  parties  had  been  organized,  and  press  after  press 
destroyed.  What  means  of  counteraction  or  prevention 
had  you  employed  ?  Had  you  expressed  your  unquali- 
fied detestation  of  such  outrages  ?  Had  you  endeavoured 
to  rectify  public  sentiment  and  to  arouse  the  community 
to  consciousness  of  its  guilt  and  its  peril  ?  Had  you 
fearlessly  indicated  your  uncompromising  hostility  to  the 
adoption  of  lawless  means  under  any  pretext  or  against 
any  evil  1  or  did  you  palliate,  or  at  least  divert  public  in- 
dignation from  acts  you  could  not  justify,  by  condemning 
the  obstinacy  and  fanaticism  of  a  man,  who  would  not 
consent  to  silence  his  press  at  the  will  of  a  mob  ?  Of 
the  influence  you  exerted  in  private  and  domestic  inter 
course,  I  have  no  knowledge  except  from  results  ;  the 
inference  they  would  warrant  I  will  not  draw.  Of  your 
endeavours  to  correct  the  popular  mind  by  your  public 
acts,  your  public  resolves,  and  solemn  expressions^  of 
opinion,  we  have,  unhappily  for  your  fame,  your  own 
record.  It  is  difficult  for  an  American  to  read  that  record 
without  a  burning  blush.  You  had  been  expressly  called 
together  to  consult  for  the  tranquillity  and  order  of  your 
city.  Repeated  instances  of  lawless  violence  had  taken 
place,  indications  of  an  anarchial  spirit  were  thick  around 
you.  You  had  full  reason  to  be  aware  of  your  danger, 
and  of  the  responsibilities  under  which  you  were  acting. 
And  what  was  the  question  which  was  convulsing  your 
community?  It  was  whether  an  American  citizen 
should  be  permitted  to  exercise  a  most  sacred  constitu- 
tional right,  or  forego  it  at  the  pleasure  of  the  mob.  The 
vast  importance  of  the  principle  at  stake  was  raos 


344  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

obvious.  The  case  was  too  plain  to  admit  of  argument. 
Did  you  then,  like  independent  and  enlightened  men, 
meet  the  exigencies  of  the  crisis  by  the  decided  nature 
of  your  resolves  ?  By  strong  remonstrance,  and  unquali- 
fied rebuke,  did  you  attempt  to  stay  the  popular  infatua- 
tion and  iniquity  ?  Especially  did  you  determine  to  sus- 
tain the  law  in  all  cases,  and  at  all  hazards  ?  Resolu- 
tions to  this  very  effect  were  brought  before  you.  How 
could  you  have  done  otherwise  than  adopt  them  ?  Yet 
these,  you  rejected  ;  and  on  what  grounds  ?  Because 
it  was  said  they  put  one  party  entirely  in  the  wrong:  they 
would  have  done  so.  The  parties  were  the  American 
people  and  a  gang  of  ruffians.  And  so  because  resolu- 
tions for  sustaining  the  law  and  the  constitution  would 
have  "  put  one  party  entirely  in  the  wrong,"  they  were 
to  be  rejected  !  What  spirit  of  delusion,  what  smooth- 
lipped  Belial  could  have  induced  you  to  swallow  down 
such  logic  1  One  would  have  thought  your  understand- 
ings, if  not  your  consciences  would  have  retched  at  it 
And  what  did  you  adopt  in  their  stead  ?  A  resolution  to 
enforce  the  laws  until  the  report  of  your  committee  was 
received.  And  what  was  the  report  of  that  committee  ? 
A  set  of  resolutions  which  in  their  popular  impression  at 
least,  justified  the  mob  by  condemning  the  object  of  their 
hate — which  recommended  to  him  a  removal  from  your 
city,  and  a  sacrifice  of  his  constitutional  rights  to  a  rabble 
of  ruffians,  and  called  it  compromise.  History,  I  appre- 
hend, will  pronounce  it  compromise,  on  your  part,  of 
duty  and  right,  of  honour  and  safety.  These  you  adopted. 
Did  you,  then,  the  report  of  your  committee  having  been 
received,  renew  your  resolution  to  enforce  the  law,  and 
that  without  limitation  ?  No.  Why  did  you  not  ?  Was 
it  that  you  dared  not,  or  that  you  wished  not  to  do  so? 
And  what  was  the  concluding  resolution  of  this  peculiar 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY-  345 

assemblage,  introduced  by  one,  who,  'most  of  all  must 
have  felt  the  responsibilities  of  his  position — your 
Mayor  ?  An  expression  of  regret  at  interference  from 
abroad  in  the  matters  of  your  city  and  community  ;  as  if, 
forsooth,  wresting  away  the  rights  of  any  American  citi- 
zen, and  introducing  into  your  state  the  pernicious  pre- 
cedent of  mob  violence  triumphing  over  the  freedom  of 
the  press,  and  infecting  the  body  politic  with  this  foul 
leprosy,  were  simply  a  domestic  concern.  As  well 
might  you  consider  firing  one's  house  in  the  midst  of  a 
vast  city,  or  importing  into  it  garments  infected  with  the 
plague,  as  merely  affecting  an  individual  interest.  What 
must  the  introducer  of  the  resolution  have  thought  of  it 
on  that  shameful  night,  when  at  last  he  found  that  there 
was  no  salvation  for  itself  in  Alton,  and  that  his  staff  of 
office  was  but  a  polluted  and  paltry  gewgaw  1  When  he 
was  compelled  to  become  envoy  truly  "  extraordinary" 
for  the  mob,  he  must  have  felt  little  disposed  to  deprecate 
aid  from  any  quarter.  He  would,  I  imagine,  have  felt 
relieved  at  the  sight  of  an  army  of  intermeddlers,  and 
that  with  the  sword  and  the  bayonet.  Thus,  having 
irritated  the  ferocity  of  the  populace  against  their  des- 
tined victim — having  set  your  seal  upon  prejudices  you 
ought  to  have  enlightened — having  sanctioned  ulterior 
violence  by  a  resolution  of  limited  resistance,  and  by 
neglecting  to  renew  that  resolution — having  given  the 
mob  a  triumph  by  failing  to  take  a  fearless  and  unflinch- 
ing stand  in  favour  of  civil  rights,  with  a  few  faint  salvos 
for  the  honour  and  majesty  of  law,  your  assembly,  which 
happily  has  few  parallels  in  modern  times,  broke  up, 
losing  an  opportunity  which  was  never  to  return.  I 
firmly  believe,  if  even  at  that  late  hour,  you  had  taken  the 
high  and  determined  position  you  ought  to  have  taken 
long  before,  if  with  your  disapprobation  of  the  course  of 


346  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Mr.  Lovejoy,  did  you  deem  it  necessary  to  express  it, 
you  had  united  a  declaration  of  your  fixed  and  unqualified 
purpose  to  sustain  the  law  at  all  hazards,  all  yet  might 
have  been  well.  This  you  would  not,  or  you  dared  not 
do.  The  occasion  was  lost ;  and  blood  and  tears  were 
to  follow,  of  which  what  has  already  flowed  may  be  no 
more  than  the  first  faint  shower-drops.  Such,  as  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  learn,  is  the  nature  and  amount  of 
the  moral  prevention  you  used ! 

Let  us  next  inquire  what  was  your  conduct  in  the  use 
of  the  second  means  of  prevention  specified,  coercion. 
And  first :  after  the  destruction  of  former  presses,  what 
measures  had  been  taken  by  the  civil  authorities,  and  by 
your  citizens  to  guard  against,  or  to  punish  these  out- 
rages ?  If  any  were  made,  that  they  were  feeble,  in- 
efficient, and  heartless,  seems  inferable  from  the  results 
And  finally,  upon  the  day  of  the  arrival  of  the  last  press, 
when  indications  of  premeditated  violence  were  rife  all 
around  you,  what  precautionary  measures  were  em- 
ployed ?  Your  Mayor  consulted  the  City  Council  on  the 
subject,  and — they  refused  to  act !  Their  reasons  re- 
main in  their  own  bosoms.  The  public  demand  to  know 
them— they  have  a  right  to  know  them.  Who  were  that 
City  Council  ?  The  infamy  of  such  a  seemingly  fla- 
grant betrayal  of  trust,  requires  a  definite  resting-place. 
And  at  the  last  dark  catastrophe,  when  the  alarm  bells 
had  summoned  you  from  your  beds,  and  you  saw  a  band 
of  infuriated  and  drunken  wretches  besetting  a  ware- 
house, containing  a  number  of  your  most  respectable 
citizens,  with  deadly  weapons  —  when  you  heard  the  dis- 
charge of  fire-arms,  and  the  blasphemies  of  rage,  and  the 
vows  of  murder,  and  saw  them  setting  fire  to  the  build- 
ing, and  hemming  in  the  besieged  with  the  avowed  de- 
termination of  burning  the  edifice  and  its  occupants  to- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  347 

gether — when  you  beheld  a  mob  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty,  about  fifty  of  whom  only  are  supposed  to  have 
been  armed,  engaged  in  these  atrocities,  what  was  your 
conduct  ?  Undoubtedly  your  sympathies,  if  not  your 
patriotism,  were  at  length  aroused — you  eagerly  offered 
your  services  to  your  Mayor — you  could  not  be  restrained 
—you  rushed  to  the  rescue.  No,  alas  !  no,  not  such 
were  the  facts.  You  looked  quietly  on,  and  saw  the 
work  of  destruction  and  murder  consummated  ! 

For  the  above  facts  I  am  chiefly  indebted,  not  to  hear- 
say, or  rumour,  but  to  the  published  reports  of  your  own 
meeting,  and  the  statement  of  your  Mayor.  Whether,  in 
view  of  the  above  facts,  your  consciences  will  acquit  you 
of  dereliction  of  duty,  in  the  use  of  moral  and  coercive 
means  — whether  the  public  sentiment  of  your  country, 
and  the  solemn  tribunal  of  the  human  race,  and  the  high 
Chancery  of  Heaven  will  hold  you  guiltless,  is  to  you 
an  inquiry  of  fearful  interest.  The  decision,  which  all 
these  might  perhaps  authenticate,  it  is  not  my  wish  to 
pronounce.  My  aim  is  not  to  upbraid,  but  to  awaken  to 
a  serious  and  impartial  review.  Not,  certainly,  without 
the  amplest  evidence,  should  I  feel  warranted  in  bring- 
ing in  a  verdict  of  conviction  of  a  guilt  so  opprobrious 
and  so  tremendous.  Whatever  justification  the  case  ad- 
mits, will  be  carefully  and  gratefully  listened  to.  That 
there  are  some  among  you,  who  deserve  no  share  in  the 
infamy  of  the  above  transaction,  we  know— that  there 
are  more  we  should  be  glad  to  hope.  That  the  individu- 
als, whose  well-known  and  hitherto  respected  names  are 
made  to  appear  as  endorsers  for  the  transactions  of  that 
strange  meeting,  were  blinded  by  fear  and  overawed  by 
the  mob,  and  were  not  guilty  of  deliberate  wickedness, 
charity  leads  us  to  presume.  Perhaps  it  would  be  haz- 
ardous for  common  virtue  to  be  thrown  in  their  situation. 


348  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

We  can  hardly  give  assurances  how  even  ourselves  will 
act,  until  circumstances  have  tried  us. 

But  it  is  vain  to  attempt  to  shift  the  blame  by  impugn- 
ing the  motives  and  previous  conduct  of  the  SUFFERER. 
To  degrade  him,  were  it  in  your  power,  would  not  exalt 
you — it  would  only  add  to  the  "  deep  damnation  of  his 
taking  off"  the  coward  malice  that  seeks  shelter  behind 
the  carcass  of  its  victim.  To  term  him  "  rash,"  "  head- 
strong," and  "  imprudent,"  is  the  strongest  sentence  of 
self-coridemnation  you  can  utter.  Why  was  it  "  rash" 
or  "  imprudent"  to  exercise  the  most  sacred  of  American 
or  human  rights— freedom  of  speech— in  ALTON  ?  Was 
it  because  he  ought  to  have  known  that  there  was  not 
law,  nor  conscience,  nor  patriotism,  nor  intelligence, 
among  you,  to  protect  him  ?  And  if  these  elements  were 
not  found  among  you ;  you,  and  not  he,  were  responsible 
for  their  absence.  Nor  do  the  results,  melancholy  as 
they  are,  though  they  argue  your  delinquency,  necessa- 
rily convict  him  of  rashness.  There  are  in  moral,  as  in 
political  conflicts,  THERMOPYLJES,  where  we  must  make 
a  stand  or  perish — where  yielding  would  be  treason  to 
our  principles,  our  country,  and  our  race — -where  it  be- 
comes a  most  solemn  duty to  die  !  Perhaps  nothing 

less  than  the  shedding  of  blood  could  awaken  the  con 
science  and  salutary  fears  of  this  nation,  and  open  its 
eyes  to  that  dreadful  TARPEIAN,  on  whose  verge  it  is 
tottering.  Whether  such  was  the  fact  in  this  case,  it 
concerns  not  my  present  purpose  to  inquire.  Nor  is  it 
of  importance  to  examine  the  vulgar  charge  that  he  died 
with  the  blood  of  a  fellow-being  on  his  hands.  The 
charge,  according  to  the  testimony  of  those  who  were 
with  him  in  the  building,  and  who  alone  could  know,  is 
false.  After  the  doors  and  windows  had  been  broken 
in,  and  guns  had  been  fired  into  the  building,  the  fatal 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  349 

shot  was  discharged  from  within,  but  not  by  Mr.  Love- 
joy.  But  were  the  charge  true,  he  had  a  right  to  shoot 
down  that,  or  any  other  individual  among  the  assailants, 
as  he  would  so  many  beasts  of  prey.  They  were  no 
more  than  midnight  robbers.  Pardon  me — they  were 
more,  they  were  traitors.  Had  his  hands  been  stained 
with  the  blood  of  a  hundred  of  them,  the  decision  of  any 
court,  human  or  divine,  would  have  washed  it  all  away. 
He  had  the  right  of  self-defence,  which  is  given  to  all — 
and  he  had  in  this  case  more,  the  direct  warrant  of  the 
civil  authority.  The  last  act  of  Mr.  Lovejoy  does  not 
imply  the  existence  of  any  other  emotions  in  his  breast, 
than  those  which,  with  reference  to  other  men,  and  other 
countries,  and  times,  we  are  wont  to  ascribe  to  the  high- 
est heroic  virtue,  As  it  regards  the  charge  of  an  una- 
vailing waste  of  human  life,  nothing  but  the  result 
proved  it  unavailing.  It  was  the  opinion  of  judicious 
men,  that  resistance  to  lawless  violence,  and  the  enforce- 
ment of  law,  were  feasible  ;  and  had  the  guard  from 
the  Upper  Town  been  present,  there  is  little  doubt  they 
would  have  been  effected.  If  we  feel  inclined  to  regret, 
that  a  minister  of  the  gospel  attempted  to  defend  the 
rights  of  the  citizen,  and  the  laws  of  his  country  by  force, 
this  act  should  be  viewed  at  least  with  indulgence,  by 
those  who  are  wont  to  regard  with  admiration,  examples 
in  their  own  Revolutionary  history,  where  the  pulpit  was 
exchanged  for  the  battle-field.  Never  was  there  a  cause 
more  sacred  than  that  in  which  he  fell.  Nor  will  it  avail 
you  to  charge  him  with  having  violated  a  pledge  never 
to  agitate  the  Slavery  question  in  Alton.  Such  a  pledge 
he  never  gave,  nor  had  he  a  right  to  give.  Such  a  pledge 
you  had  no  right  to  receive,  much  less  to  enforce.  All 
that  he  did,  or  ought  to  have  done,  was  to  express  an 
existing  intention,  subject  however  to  his  future  views 
30 


350  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

of  duty.  And  his  right  to  print  when,  and  where,  and 
what  he  pleased,  we  must  remember  was  not  gained,  nor 
could  it  be  forfeited  by  the  will  of  those  to  whom  that  in- 
tention was  expressed. 

But  it  is  not  relevant  to  my  present  purpose  to  be  his 
apologist  or  condemner.  It  is  enough  for  me  to  know 
that  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  an  American  citizen,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  his  undoubted  right,  and  that  for  this,  he  was  in 
the  face  of  your  city  openly  murdered.  How  obnoxious 
soever  his  sentiments  may  have  been,  he  had  unques- 
tionably the  right  to  publish  them,  and  for  the  abuse  of 
this  right  he  was  amenable,  not  to  a  tumultuary,  anarchi- 
cal power,  but  to  the  legal  tribunals,  and  those  only. 
This  you  knew,  and  you  knew  it  was  your  most  solemn 
duty  to  maintain  the  law  at  all  hazards.  Call  him  im- 
prudent, infatuated,  fanatical,  and  nothing  is  easier  than  the 
application  of  such  epithets  of  vague  malice — it  affects  not 
the  question  of  your  duty — nor  does  it  wash  a  single  shade 
from  the  crimson  of  your  guilt.  Whatever  may  have  been 
the  desert  of  the  individual,  the  constitution  of  your  coun- 
try surely  deserved  not  such  a  wound  at  your  hands. 

Strange  was  it,  even  if  no  feeling  of  patriotism,  or  re- 
gard for  the  right  moved  within  you,  that  you  should 
have  been  so  blind  to  considerations  of  self-interest. 
How  could  you  look  on  and  see  a  fellow-citizen  sacri- 
ficed, "and  not  read  in  the  atrocious  transaction  a  warn- 
ing of  your  own  impending  danger  ?  Strange,  that  you 
could  behold  the  triumph  of  brute  force  over  law  in  this 
instance,  and  not  feel  you  were  witnessing  the  creation 
of  a  tyranny  whose  gory  hand  would  be  over  you  all. 
Did  you  not  feel  the  cold  shiver  of  the  chain  fastening 
around  your  souls  ?  Infatuated  men !  how  could  you 
see  an  individual  murdered  for  the  expression  of  unpopu- 
lai  sentiments,  and  not  feel  you  were  hopelessly  binding 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOT.  351 

yourselves  and  your  posterity  to  popular  opinions,  popu- 
lar measures,  popular  prejudices,  and  popular  crimes — 
in  short,  never  to  act  or  speak  but  with  the  permission  of 
the  populace,  however  degraded  or  guilt-stained  it  might 
be  !  Did  you  suppose  that  ABOLITIONISM  was  to  be  the 
last  object  of  popular  hatred  ?  How  could  you  see  liberty 
of  speech  smothered  in  blood  in  one  instance,  and  not 
perceive  you  were  creating  a  censorship  over  yourselves 
more  jealous,  fanatical,  and  intolerable,  than  that  of  the 
Chinese  or  Austrian,  or  the  Romish  despotism — that 
your  own  souls,  the  aspirations  of  your  own  hopes,  your 
own  reason  and  love  of  truth  must  henceforth  whisper 
wizard-like  from  the  dust  ?  How  could  you  fail  to  per- 
ceive that  you  were  called  upon  to  witness  the  obsequies 
of  your  own  honour,  and  the  consummation  of  your  own 
shame — to  set  your  seal  to  the  act  of  your  own  enslave- 
ment, and  of  your  deep  and  enduring  disgrace  ?  How 
could  you,  in  retiring  to  your  homes,  look  your  wives 
and  children  in  the  face  ?  Did  you  not  feel  that  you  had 
betrayed  them — that  the  same  red-handed  power  that 
had  broken  the  heart  of  the  wife,  and  made  the  child 
fatherless,  might  visit  your  own  hearths  with  widowhood 
and  orphanage  ;  or,  at  least,  that  they  could  be  secured 
against  such  a  visitation,  only  by  your  becoming  passive 
and  pliant  slaves,  and  that  to  the  most  despicable  and 
brutal  of  masters  1  Should  the  violent  and  bloody  spirit 
of  the  times,  which  you  have  at  least  tacitly  counte 
nanced,  permit  you  to  see  old  age,  will  this  be  a  tale 
you  will  be  proud  to  rehearse  to  your  children  1  When 
the  frenzy  and  infatuation  of  the  day  have  had  their  en 
sanguined  hour,  and  passion  and  party  are  silent  in  the 
grave,  and  impartial  history  shall  take  up  the  transaction  ; 
will  your  descendants,  think  you,  be  proud  to  read  your 
names  in  connection  with  the  disgraceful  story  ?  Aye 


352  *          MEMOIR  OF  THE 

with  the  present  indications  of  public  feeling,  and  the  ex- 
pressions of  indignant  reprobation  coming  in  upon  you 
from  all  parts  of  our  land,  from  every  sect  and  party  who 
have  a  regard  for  even  their  intellectual  reputation,  and 
who  do  not  wish  to  rank  with  ruffians  in  morals,  you  may 
well  tremble,  lest  the  day  be  not  far  distant  when  a  man 
will  blush  to  have  been  on  the  night  of  the  seventh  of 
November  a  passive  looker-on  in  ALTON.  You  will  par- 
don my  plainness  of  speech.  Had  this  outbreaking  of 
popular  violence  come  upon  you  with  sudden  and  whirl- 
wind fury,  giving  no  warning  of  its  approach,  and  ad- 
mitting of  no  resistance  in  its  explosive  and  desolating 
development,  the  case  would  have  been  widely  differ- 
ent. But  no.  The  approaches  of  the  evil  were  gradual, 
and  were  foreseen — time  was  given  for  all  counteracting 
and  preventive  influences,  and  for  all  requisite  precau- 
tionary arrangements.  The  opportunity  given  for  over- 
awing the  spirit  of  violence,  by  the  solemn  rebuke  of 
public  sentiment,  was  abused  to  its  exasperation — the 
resolution  that  you  would  hold  yourselves  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Mayor  was  rejected — no  plan  was  formed,  no 
measure  was  adopted,  no  precautions  were  taken  by  the 
civil  authorities.  The  whole  matter  was  left  to  chance 
and  impulse  ;  and  as  the  consequence,  chance,  and  im- 
pulse, and  misrule,  and  murder  ruled  the  hour.  The 
transaction  seems  to  bear  all  the  marks  of  systematic, 
deliberate,  premeditated  neglect  or  connivance.  There- 
fore it  is  that  my  feelings  and  language  are  strong. 

My  remarks,  thus  far,  apply  to  all  who  claim  to  be 
lovers  of  order  and  civil  liberty,  without  distinction.  But 
there  is  a  class  among  you  professing  a  higher  morality, 
a  more  purifying  hope,  and  a  more  scrupulous  and  abi- 
ding sense  of  right  than  other  men — a  faith  stronger  than 
expediency,  and  holier  than  patriotism,  and  which  eter- 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  353 

nally  forbids  that  human  fear  or  favour,  or  any  power  in 
the  universe,  should  make  them  swerve  from  duty,  or 
wink  at  iniquity.  Where,  let  me  ask  of  this  class,  were 
you  during  the  progressive  scenes  of  this  shameful  dra- 
ma ?  Did  you,  in  view  of  higher  motives,  and  more 
solemn  obligations  of  a  mightier  power,  and  more  glori- 
ous example,  stand  by  the  right,  when  others,  under  the 
influence  of  interest,  or  fear,  or  worldliness,  gave  way 
before  the  tempest  of  wrong  ?  or  did  you  yield  to  the  se- 
ductions of  pecuniary  interest  or  worldly  hope  1  Did 
you  succumb  to  a  corrupt  public  sentiment,  and  truckle 
to  the  fanaticism  of  the  mob  ? 

Did  you,  in  a  Christian  spirit,  rebuke  the  spreading 
iniquity,  or  did  you  abet,  or  flatter,  or  palliate  the  spirit 
of  lawless  violence  ?  Did  you  fear  God  or  man  ?  In 
short  are  you  conscious  of  having  done  all  that  Christian, 
duty,  your  awful  vows,  and  your  everlasting  self-conse- 
cration to  the  God  of  truth  and  right,  demanded  ?  What 
course  private  individuals  may  have  taken  I  know  not ; 
but  I  feel  assured,  that  in  no  community  where  the  church 
possesses  the  numerical  strength,  and  wealth,  and  weight 
of  character,  she  is  reputed  to  embrace  in  her  various 
branches  in  ALTON,  could  such  a  series  of  progressive, 
and  finally  triumphant,  acts  of  violence  take  place,  with- 
out a  gross  dereliction  of  Christian  duty — and  it  may  be 
safely  assumed,  that  had  her  professing  members  in  that 
place,  generally,  acted  worthily  of  the  name  they  bear, 
these  disgraceful  outrages  might  have  been  prevented. 
But  there  are  some  of  you,  whose  names  from  either 
peculiar  influence,  or  office,  or  activity,  have  been  pain- 
fully conspicuous  in  these  transactions.  Is  it  not  a  fact, 
that  a  professed  preacher  of  the  gospel*  in  canvassing  for 


*  Rev.  Charles  Howard.— Eds. 
30* 


354  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

a  political  office,  publicly  stated  that  lie  was  for  protect- 
ing the  liberty  of  the  press,  but  this  was  a  case  of  its 
licentiousness — as  if,  forsooth,  the  mob,  and  not  the  laws, 
were  to  take  cognizance  of  such  licentiousness.  Is  it 
not  a  fact  that  clergymen  of  different  denominations  at- 
tended the  first  meeting  called  for  tranquilizing  your  city  ; 
and  why  was  it,  when  resolutions  embracing  principles, 
fundamental  to  freedom  of  speech  and  civil  liberty  were 
brought  forward,  that  no  voice  was  heard  from  these  in 
their  behalf  ?  Is  it  not  a  fact,  that  one  of  the  committee 
to  draft  resolutions,  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  speak- 
ers at  the  second  meeting,  was  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,* 
and  that  that  individual,  instead  of  standing  forth  the 
fearless  advocate  of  law  and  civil  right,  gravely  recom- 
mended to  an  American  citizen,  in  the  exercise  of  con- 
stitutional rights,  in  a  Christian  country,  and  in  a  com- 
munity claiming  to  be  governed  by  law,  the  example  of 
Paul,  in  a  strange  city,  amid  a  dark-minded  and  pagan 
population,  and  under  the  dissolute,  bloody,  and  venal 
despotism  of  Nero  ?  and  that  before  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  civil  authority  could  not  protect  him,  and  when 
the  only  necessity  for  the  adoption  of  that  advice  grew 
out  of  the  fact,  that  the  adviser  and  those  like  him,  would 
not,  or  dared  not  defend  the  constitution  under  which 
they  lived  ?  This  advice,  too,  we  are  to  remember, 
which,  if  given  at  all,  should  have  been  whispered  in 
secret,  was  in  the  presence  of  the  mob  who  stood  ready 
to  overcome  the  contumacy  that  should  dare  reject  it. 
What  a  spectacle  was  this  to  angels  and  to  men  !  Why 
was  that  sacred  man  there  ?  I  know  it  could  not  have 
been  to  cover  with  the  sanctity  of  his  office  the  flagi- 
tiousness  of  the  proceedings :  but  why  was  he  there  ? 

*  Rev.  John  Hogan.— Ed*. 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  355 

To  defend  the  right  ?  Why  then  did  he  not  defend  it  ? 
Intimidated,  seduced,  or  deluded,  he  presents  the  dark- 
est and  saddest  of  enigmas.  By  his  sacred  calling,  as  an 
ambassador  of  that  SAVIOUR,  who  exhibited  pureness 
amid  the  impure,  benevolence  amid  the  malignant,  and 
an  uncompromising  rebuke  of  iniquity  even  unto  death — 
by  the  mighty  salvation  he  preached — by  the  souls  of 
those  dark-minded  men  around  him,  who  were  rushing 
on  to  madness  and  murder,  he  was  bound  to  be  right, 
though  all  the  millions  of  mankind,  and  of  created  orders, 
had  been  with  the  wrong — he  was  bound  to  know  that, 
as  a  representative  and  teacher  of  the  Christian  faith,  a 
slight  lapse  in  him  would  give  to  others  a  license  wide 
as  the  firmament — he  was  bound  to  know,  that  to  him,  in 
no  small  degree  was  committed  the  honour  of  that  faith 
in  that  community,  and  that  in  prostituting  its  influence, 
or  dishonouring  its  character,  his  would  be  a  guilt  no 
secular  or  infernal  power  could  share — the  guilt  of  sacri 
ficing  the  only  element  of  moral  renovation  among  man- 
kind. He  was  bound  to  remember,  that  he  was  to  meet 
those  misguided  and  guilty  men,  who  he  had  full  reason 
to  know  were  verging  on  to  crime,  and,  as  the  result 
proved,  to  murder,  in  a  mighty  assemblage,  and  before  a 
more  awful  tribunal.  To  all  this  he  was  bound  by  obli- 
gations strong  as  immortality.  But,  alas  !  the  evil  pas- 
sions which  should  have  been  rebuked,  were  exaspera- 
ted. The  prejudices,  he  should  have  enlightened,  were 
abetted,  the  consciences  which  he  should  have  aroused, 
were  lulled  to  a  fatal  torpor.  And  here,  then,  let  me 
ask,  in  view  of  these  facts,  (and  to  him  it  is  a  question 
of  thrilling  fear,)  at  whom,  when  the  murderers  shall  be 
arraigned  at  the  bar  of  the  irreversible  doom,  will  the 
bloody  fingers  be  pointed  ?  Strange  was  it,  when  he  ac- 
tually withdrew  the  protection  of  law,  and  gave  up  the 


356  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

victim  to  his  fanatical  haters —  strange  was  it,  he  did  not 
perceive,  he  was  sacrificing  the  principles  upon  which, 
his  own  religious  liberty  was  based,  and  that  that  hatred 
and  that  triumph  derived  no  small  measure  of  their  keen- 
ness, from  the  fact,  that  their  prey  was  of  his  own  order — 
a  preacher  of  the  gospel — and  that  that  triumph  would 
have  been  immeasurably  enhanced,  could  the  individual 
and  his  religion  have  been  prostrated  at  the  same  blow  ? 
Whatever  applause  may  have  been  rendered  him,  it  must, 
in  view  of  such  facts,  have  arisen  in  his  nostrils  like 
the  fumes  of  the  pit — nor  can  it  shut  out  forever  the 
tones  of  that  last,  touching,  solemn  appeal  and  remon- 
strance, uttered  by  his  slain  brother,  ere  he  was  aban- 
doned as  the  mark  of  a  lawless  and  most  iniquitous  per- 
secution :  these,  I  am  sure,  will  sometimes  steal  upon 
his  hours  of  solitude  and  reflection,  and  the  "  voice  with- 
in," I  am  told,  cannot  be  entirely  bribed  to  falsehood ; 
and  its  decisions,  it  must  be  remembered,  are  but  the  an- 
ticipated sentence  of  the  power  that  gave  it  commission. 
With  reference  to  the  actual  perpetrators  of  the  out- 
rage, most  of  them,  we  are  bound  for  the  honour  of  the 
American  name  to  presume,  were  of  that  refuse  of  so- 
ciety, which  are  wont  to  cluster  around  a  commercial 
emporium,  kennelling  unregarded  in  the  grog-shop,  and 
the  gambling  hell,  till  some  demagogue  or  agitator  calls 
them  forth  to  personate  the  people,  supersede  the  law, 
and  take  care  of  the  public  conscience  and  public  morals. 
Many  of  them,  in  charity  to  the  national  character  we 
may  assume,  are  beneath  the  reach  of  an  enlightened 
public  sentiment,  either  from  an  ignorance  that  cannot,  or 
a  prejudice  that  will  not  read  ;  or  belong  to  those  despe- 
radoes in  society  to  whom  the  whip,  the  axe,  and  the 
halter  are  the  only  arguments.  Others  there  probably 
were,  of  slender  intelligence  and  weak  moral  purpose, 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  357 

but  of  inflammable  passions,  who  under  the  influence  of 
evil  men,  and  mistaken  opinions,  knew  not  what  they  did. 
Such  are  indeed  objects  of  pity,  and  upon  evidence  of 
repentance  are  not  to  be  excluded  from  forgiveness,  con- 
fidence and  kindness.  But  such,  alas,  were  not  all.  We 
have  reason  to  believe,  that  amid  the  immediate  instiga- 
tors or  actual  perpetrators  of  the  felony  were  some, 
whose  titled  names,  education  enjoyed,  profession  in  life 
and  pride  of  standing  in  society,  we  should  have  hoped, 
would  have  kept  them  from  such  self-degradation — that 
there  were  those  of  enlightened  conscience  and  cultiva- 
ted intellect,  who  not  only  polluted  themselves  with  the 
foul  iniquity,  but  deliberately  seduced  others  into  it. 
With  reference  to  such,  whether  with  utter  recklessness 
of  character,  appearing  openly  in  the  transaction,  or 
skulking  in  concealment,  and  instigating  the  wretches, 
they  had  not  courage  to  lead — it  matters  not — language 
is  inadequate  to  the  flagitiousness  and  wickedness  of 
their  character.  That  your  malignity  was  too  strong  for 
your  regard  to  the  right,  or  your  love  of  your  country,  is 
perhaps  no  matter  of  surprise  ;  but  I  am  surprised  that  it 
took  no  counsel  of  ultimate  consequences.  The  act  you 
were  committing,  by  the  interpretation  of  all  courts  and 
all  codes,  was  MURDER.  Why,  in  that  guilty  hour  did  not 
your  good  or  your  evil  angel  whisper  you  that,  by  the 
act  you  were  perpetrating,  you  were  putting  yourselves 
and  the  laws  of  your  country  at  an  eternal  issue  ?  Yes, 
between  them  and  yourselves  there  is,  and  ever  must  be, 
war  to  the  knife,  a  war  of  extermination,  in  which  one 
or  the  other  must  perish.  Public  anarchy  and  ruin  are 
your  only  safety.  Can  you  expect,  can  you  be  so  im- 
pious as  to  hope,  to  conquer  in  such  a  warfare  ?  But 
should  you  prevail,  have  you  yet  to  learn  from  thfc  ad- 
monitions of  history,  that  the  instigators  and  leaders  of 


358  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

popular  frenzy,  however  they  may  triumph  for  a  while, 
sooner  or  later  feed  the  Brazen  Bull  their  own  hands 
have  reared  ?  Sooner  or  later,  themselves  are  gorged  by 
the  Anaconda  which  they  are  wont  to  caress,  and  whose 
hissing  they  pronounce  excellent  music.  Did  Robes- 
pierre and  his  compeers  dream  they  were  erecting  the 
guillotin  for  themselves  1  But  did  he,  or  Danton,  or 
Marat,  sleep  in  bloodless  graves  ?  Have  yoil  yet  to 
learn,  that  there  is  an  avenging  Providence,  which  often 
forbids  that  bloody  and  violent  men  should  make  their 
last  bed  in  peace  ?  But  should  you  be  left  to  the  course 
of  nature,  are  there  no  furies  of  the  guilty  mind,  which 
the  fugitive  from  human  law  can  never  escape,  and  which 
often  make  the  guilty  envy  his  victim  the  repose  of  the 
sepulchre  ?  An  American  citizen  murdered,  a  home 
desolated,  a  wife  widowed,  a  child  made  fatherless — 
these  are  recollections  which  will  not  fade  with  the  fading 
excitements  of  the  hour.  From  these  you  can  never 
flee — no  bars  can  protect,  no  concealments  hide  you 
from  them,  no  flight  can  leave  them  behind — they  are 
become  a  part  of  your  own  souls.  The  dreadful  truth 
that  you  are  MURDERERS  will  follow  you  through  all  your 
future  existence  :  in  whatever  scenes  you  may  mingle — 
beneath  whatever  sky  you  may  repose,  the  grisly  accu- 
ser will  dog  you.  Though  you  essay  to  drown  its  voice 
in  the  madness  of  intoxication,  or  in  the  excitements  of 
deeper  and  still  deeper  crime — vain  will  be  the  attempt, 
it  will  await  you  in  the  grave.  Yea,  in  the  LAST  GREAT 
CONGREGATION  the  gory  phantom  will  start  forth,  and  ar- 
raign you  at  the  bar  of  eternal  justice.  Much  do  I  mis- 
judge, if  the  hours  do  not  frequently  come,  when  you 
would  gladly  hide  yourselves  in  the  grave,  were  it  not, 
that  secret  "  dread  of  something  after  death,"  which  God 
has  left  as  his  witness  and  prophet  in  the  souls  of  the 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  359 

guiltiest,  will  warn  you  that  the  tortures  you  experience 
are  but  the  faint  and  shadowy  earnest  of  an  IMMORTAL 
REMORSE.  By  the  act  you  have  committed  you  have 
also  chained  yourselves  to  the  necessity  of  an  unending 
war  with  virtuous  public  sentiment.  Public  opinion  must 
be  permanently  vitiated,  or  you  will  become  objects  from 
which  men  will  shrink  as  from  something  polluted, 
venomous,  deadly.  The  dire  and  fixed  necessity  seems 
laid  upon  you  of  perpetually  corrupting  society,  or  of  be- 
coming the  objects  of  its  deep  and  lasting  abhorrence. 

And  what  have  you  gained  by  all  this  dreadful  and 
guilty  self-sacrifice  ?  Whatever  may  have  been  the 
faults  of  your  victim,  you  have  embalmed  and  canonized 
them.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  defects  of  his  cause, 
or  of  his  advocacy  of  it,  you  have  done  much,  by'  your 
mad  act,  to  identify  that  cause  with  that  of  freedom  of 
speech  and  American  liberty,  and  you  have  given  its 
advocate  rank  among  the  apostles  of  humanity  and  mar- 
tyrs to  the  rights  of  man ;  among  the  Vanes  and  Syd- 
neys  of  other  times  you  have  ensured  his  name  a  record, 
while  the  traducer  and  the  murderer  are  forgotten  in  the 
grave.  Instead  of  checking  the  cause,  for  which  he  la- 
boured, you  have  made  the  sympathies  of  this  whole  na- 
tion react  upon  you  like  an  earthquake.  You  have  vir- 
tually surrendered  the  field  of  argument,  by  a  resort  to  force 
— you  have  made  the  name  of  the  object  of  your  hate  a 
talisman  and  a  power,  worth  more  to  him,  and  his  cause, 
than  a  hundred  years  of  life.  You  cannot  bury  his  shed 
blood  in  the  earth — it  will  have  voice — it  will  plead 
louder  than  a  thousand  presses.  From  its  every  drop 
will  spring  an  army  of  living  antagonists.  Did  you  dream 
that  at  this  age  you  could  muzzle  free  discussion  1  You 
might  as  well  attempt  to  muzzle  JEtna..  Did  you  hope 
to  chain  liberty  of  speech  ?  You  might  as  well  lay  grasp 


360  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

upon  Niagara.  Did  you  think  to  oppose  yourselves  to 
the  progress  of  free  opinion  1  You  might  as  well  throw 
yourselves  across  the  path  of  the  lightning  or  the  whirl- 
wind. The  nation,  or  conspiracy  of  nations,  that  opposes 
itself  to  the  course  of  free  inquiry,  opposes  itself  to  the 
Providence  of  G/od  and  the  destiny  of  the  race,  and  might 
as  well  think  to  suspend  the  laws  of  nature,  or  stay  the 
earth  in  her  orbit.  But  that  you,  at  the  head  of  a  drunken 
and  swinish  mob,  with  the  force  of  an  ignorant  and  bru- 
tish rabble,  should  hope  to  withstand  the  onward  march 
of  opinion,  would  provoke  only  contempt,  did  not  the 
atrociousness  of  the  attempt  entitle  it  to  indignation — it 
emulates  only  the  sagacity  of  the  animal  that  sometimes 
takes  its  stand  upon  the  railroad  track,  and  challenges 
battle  with  the  locomotive. 

In  reflecting  upon  your  infamous  course,  you  have  not 
even  the  poor  satisfaction  of  successful  villany.  Unhappy, 
infatuated  men  !  whose  only  safety  lies  in  the  dissolution 
of  social  order,  the  corruption  of  public  sentiment,  and 
the  ruin  of  your  country  :  or  who,  should  the  promptings 
of  reviving  virtue  and  patriotism  be  ever  again  felt,  must 
find  your  highest  duty,  and  the  sole  act  of  magnanimity 
and  patriotism  left  you — an  IGNOMINIOUS  DEATH.  Never- 
theless, to  that  duty,  and  that  act,  I  must  commend  you. 
Surrender  yourselves  to  the  justice  of  your  country. 
Atone  for  your  great  wickedness  by  furnishing  to  your 
country  the  only  use  of  which  you  are  longer  susceptible,  a 
practical  and  fearful  warning.  Commending  you  to  this, 
and  to  deep  repentance  before  that  Power  which  can 
pardon  the  penitent,  and  still  maintain  the  majesty  of 
law,  I  take  my  leave  of  you  in  commiseration  and  sorrow. 

CITIZENS  OF  ALTON  !  If,  in  any  respect,  I  may  seem 
to  have  put  myself  in  the  unamiable  and  most  undesirable 
attitude  of  a  public  accuser,  it  is  that  I  may  stimulate  to 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  361 

sober  inquiry  into  the  causes  of  past  outrage,  and  the 
means  of  future  prevention.  This  means,  melancholy 
experience  demonstrates,  is  to  be  found  only  in  the  firm, 
fearless,  impartial  and  universal  maintenance  of  law. 
Abolition  is  not  the  last  of  unpopular  doctrines  ;  nor  do 
we  know  who,  or  what  may  next  become  obnoxious  to 
popular  odium.  Nothing  less  than  the  stern  enforce- 
ment of  law  irrespective  of  persons,  or  opinions,  or  cir- 
cumstances, will  prevent  persecution,  proscription,  and 
murder  without  end.  This  enforcement  implies  inflic- 
tion of  penalties,  as  well  as  promulgation  of  commands, 
and  involves  in  your  case  a  melancholy  duty  with  refer- 
ence to  the  past.  The  laws  have  been  repeatedly, 
openly,  and  flagrantly  violated  among  you — a  public,  pre- 
meditated, atrocious  murder  has  been  perpetrated.  The 
course  you  may  take  with  the  offenders,  will  settle  the 
question  in  the  eye  of  mankind,  whether  you  have  moral 
energy  and  political  virtue  enough  remaining,  to  retrieve 
your  disgrace,  and  recover  your  lost  position.  God  for- 
bid that  I  should  cherish  towards  the  unhappy  wretches 
implicated,  any  other  than  feelings  of  Christian  kindness, 
and  a  desire  for  their  repentance.  God  forbid  that 
revenge  should  claim  a  bloody  oblation  for  the  shade  of 
the  murdered  Lovejoy.  Vengeance  belongs  to  another 
hour,  and  a  mightier  hand.  But  the  spirit  of  slain  jus- 
tice does  walk  your  streets,  and  clamour  for  expiation. 
Until  that  be  given,  no  charm  can  lay  her  unquiet  shade. 
She  will  wander  up  and  down  your  city,  she  will  whisper 
you  in  the  darkness  of  the  night — her  sorrowing  tones 
will  steal  upon  the  solitude  of  your  repose,  and  her  gory 
apparition  will  affright  your  slumbers.  Ages  to  come, 
her  moan  will  resound  among  your  cliffs,  and  rise  upon 
.he  roar  of  the  Mississippi.  Unless  atonement  be  made 
to  violated  law,  order  and  security  can  never  be  restored 
31 


362  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

among  you — not,  at  least,  until  a  generation  unstained  by 
this  transaction  have  taken  your  places,  and  the  offend- 
ers are  beyond  the  reach  of  human  justice. 

AN  AMERICAN  CITIZEN. 


Remarks  made  at  Rochester,  at  a  meeting  of  the  West- 
ern Convention  of  New  York,  January  10th,  llth,  and 
12th,  1838.  . 

17.  Resolved.  That  in  the  murder  of  the  Rev.  E.  P. 
Lovejoy,  in  Alton,  Illinois,  by  an  uncontrolled  and  unre- 
buked  mob,  we  feel  that  our  country  has  lost  a  noble-hearted 
citizen,  and  an  able  and  uncompromising  defender  of  the 
liberty  of  the  press — the  cause  of  humanity  a  faithful 
friend  ;  and,  while  we  acquiesce  in  the  dispensations  of 
Providence,  we  deeply  lament  his  untimely  end. 

January  Wth,  1838. 
ALVAN  STEWART,  Esq. 

I  am  much  pleased  with  this  resolution.  I  can 
sympathize  with  the  mover  of  it  in  all  that  he  has  ex- 
pressed in  admiration  of  the  martyred  Lovejoy.  I  am 
glad  to  see  this  resolution  brought  in.  There  would  have 
been  a  chasm  in  the  proceedings  of  this  convention 
without  it.  This  subject,  painful  as  it  is,  deserves  our 
careful  consideration.  Nothing  has  happened  in  many 
years  which  has  produced  so  electric  an  effect  upon  the 
public  mind  as  this.  Such  a  feeling  so  broad  and  deep, 
was  scarcely  excited  when  the  great  and  enlightened 
Hamilton,  the  patriot  and  statesman,  fell.  Even  when 
the  father  of  his  country  slept  the  sleep  of  death,  there 
was  not  a  much  greater  sensation  produced  than  now, 
when  our  brother  Lovejoy  has  fallen.  The  gradual 
lapse  of  years  brings  with  it  decay  and  death,  so  that 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  363 

when  our  own  Washington  in  his  turn  was  swept  away 
by  the  great  destroyer,  we  all  looked  upon  it  as  an  event, 
mournful  it  is  true,  but  still  expected  and  unavoidable. 
But  Lovejoy,  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  the  full  career  of 
extensive  usefulness,  was  struck  down  by  the  assassin's 
steel.  But  he  fell  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  and  the  true 
sons  of  liberty  are  aroused  in  his  behalf.  He  fell,  but 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  was  agitated  by  the 
blow.  Where  is  the  newspaper  that  has  not  cast  its  cen- 
sure upon  the  murderers?  'What  editor  has  failed  to 
record  his  condemnation  of  the  bloody  deed  ? 

But  I  want  to  comment  for  a  moment  on  the  facts  and 
circumstances  which  led  to  this  disastrous  event.  And 
when  we  look  at  them  we  may  well  thank  God  that 
there  have  been  no  more  martyrs  to  this  cause.  But, 
indeed,  there  are  many  sacrificed  at  the  bloody  altar  of 
oppression,  martyrs  who  daily  pour  out  their  blood  at  the 
shrine  of  Slavery.  Let  us  not  forget  that  the  life  of  the 
slave  is  one  continued  scene  of  martyrdom,  equal  in  an- 
guish and  horrour  to  that  of  Lovejoy.  Sometimes  it  is  a 
martyrdom  of  all  life's  holiest  affections — of  conjugal 
fidelity — of  filial  love — rudely  broken  and  inhumanly 
sundered.  But  again,  there  are  others  who  are  as  real 
martyrs  to  the  system,  and  who  as  freely  pour  out  their 
blood  before  it  as  ever  Lovejoy  could  do.  Let  us  not 
forget  that  thousands  of  human  beings  are  annually  sac- 
rificed on  the  altar  of  this  Moloch  of  our  country,  and 
that  each  one  of  them  has  been  crushed  by  the  same 
spirit  that  laid  our  brother  in  the  grave. 

The  blind  and  perverse  mob  at  Alton  were  only  acting 
out  public  sentiment.  They  knew  that  the  mobs  at 
Boston,  and  New  York,  and  Utica,  were  never  called  to 
account,  and  the  sufferers  never  received  redress,  and 
why  should  not  they  escape  with  the  same  impunity  ? 


364  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

Then  when  Mclntosh  was  burned  alive,  and  no  one 
dared  to  publish  the  facts  lest  the  wrath  of  the  feul  fiend 
of  Slavery  should  be  wreaked  on  their  heads,  this  was 
the  signal  for  Lovejoy.  The  groans  of  the  dying  Mcln- 
tosh were  ringing  in  his  ears,  and  he  braved  the  wrath 
of  Slavery's  minions,  that  he  might  plead  against  injus- 
tice. He  published  the  facts  and  told  the  world  of  what 
had  been  done  by  Satan's  power.  But  by  so  doing  he 
incurred  the  wrath  of  the  friend  of  Slavery,  and  his  life 
was  placed  in  danger.  So  loud,  at  length,  became  the 
clamours  against  him,  that  he  thought  it  not  safe  to  re- 
main at  St.  Louis,  and  therefore  removed  with  his  paper 
to  Alton,  and  published  the  "  Alton  Observer."  Again, 
on  the  2d  of  October,  at  St.  Charles,  the  house  in  which 
he  was,  being  attacked  by  a  mob,  he  was  only  saved  by 
the  self-devotion  of  his  wife  from  being  torn  in  pieces  by 
the  infuriated  mob.  And  afterwards,  when  his  three 
presses  were  successively  destroyed,  it  was  only  the 
gradual  approach  toward  the  final  consummation  of  the 
tragedy.  But  he  felt  that  it  was  in  the  cause  of  liberty 
he  had  been  engaged,  and  he  had  no  right  to  withdraw 
from  the  contest.  He  took  his  life  in  his  hand,  and  went 
forward,  resolved  to  sacrifice  himself  rather  than  surren- 
der to  oppression.  And  now  we  come  to  that  last  dread- 
ful night,  that  laid  him  in  the  dust,  and  I  weep  for  my 
country  when  I  look  upon  the  scene.  The  workman- 
ship of  God  was  destroyed.  We  saw  a  man  of  talents 
and  of  enterprise,  of  religious  zeal  and  of  ardent  piety, 
the  servant  of  God,  and  working  in  his  master's  cause, 
laying  a  poor  corpse.  I  see  what  was  done.  Come  with 
me  and  let  us  go  into  Mr.  Oilman's  warehouse  on  the 
night  of  the  7th  of  November.  There  we  see  a  man, 
who,  from  the  first  attack  had  remained  on  his  knees 
crying  to  God  for  help  and  for  direction.  He  saw  that 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  365 

human  aid  was  gone,  none  but  the  arm  of  the  Almighty 
could  reach  them,  and  he  plead  for  mercy,  and  he  did 
not  lose  his  reward.  How  soon  did  he  hear  the  invita- 
tion, well  done  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou 
into  the  joys  of  thy  Lord.  Yes,  I  can  see  the  Saviour 
bending  over  the  walls  of  paradise,  and,  from  amidst  the 
glory  of  his  own  home,  calling  to  his  faithful  minister  in 
accents  of  love  and  approbation,  cheering  him  through 
his  struggle,  and  as  soon  as  his  spirit  escaped  from  its 
prison  house  of  clay,  affectionately  receiving  it  into  his 
own  bosom.  Perhaps  the  first  saint  to  whom  he  was  in- 
troduced on  entering  the  spirit  world  was  St.  Mark,  or 
St.  Stephen  the  proto-martyr,  and  who  can  imagine  the 
joy  with  which  those  kindred  spirits  mingle  with  each 
other  in  that  blest  abode. 

But  let  us  return  to  this  earthly  scene  a  little  longer. 
Come  with  me  to  Alton,  and  we  will  look  at  the  scene 
after  the  mob  had  passed  away.  It  is  night : — all  things 
around  are  wrapt  in  silence.  The  stars  are  reflected 
from  the  rolling  Mississippi  with  their  wonted  lustre,  and 
seem  to  shrink  from  beholding  the  awful  events  which 
have  just  transpired.  But  who  can  describe  the  object 
lying  in  yonder  silent  chamber.  Never  did  the  moon  go 
down  behind  the  rocky  mountains  looking  back  on  so 
dreadful  a  scene.  In  that  still  chamber  in  the  warehouse 
lays  the  stiffening  corpse  ;  no  friend  is  watching  its  re- 
pose, no  taper  gleams  about  his  head,  he  rests  in  silence 
and  darkness,  alone  and  unguarded  in  the  dead  of  night. 
Fresh  and  gory  from  the  murderous  shot,  he  rests  in 
death.  Those  eyes  shall  no  more  weep  for  human  wo  ; 
no  more  shall  they  look  with  pain  upon  the  crushed  and 
suffering  slave.  Those  lips  now  rigid  and  unmoving 
shall  no  more  pour  consolation  in  the  afflicted  soul  or 
plead  for  the  slave's  relief  from  the  oppressor's  rod, 
31* 


366  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

That  noble  right  hand,  the  faithful  servant  of  its  master's 
mind,  lies  motionless  by  his  side.  Oh  save  that  right 
hand  from  pollution,  it  is  the  best  friend  the  poor  slave  ever 
had — but  it  shall  never  stir  again  till  the  resurrection 
morn  shall  awake  the  dead.  Never  again  shall  that  pure 
heart  be  pained  by  the  dying  groans  of  the  murdered 
Mclntosh — never  again  shall  his  soul  be  sickened  with 
report  of  northern  minister's  recreant  to  the  cause  of  the 
poor  and  oppressed,  sacrificing  truth  and  duty  on  the  altar 
of  popularity.  But  let  us  leave  his  cause  with  God.  But 
let  us  forget  not,  that  his  wife  and  child  have  no  protec- 
tion but  our  charity — then  our  homes  shall  be  theirs,  our 
kindness  shall  support  them,  our  care  shall  guard  them, 
our  friends  shall  befriend  them — and  so  shall  we  commend 
them  to  the  God  of  grace,  who  is  the  widow's  God,  and 
the  Father  of  the  orphan. 

G.  R.  PARBTJRT, 

Mr.  President — Allow  me  to  lay  my  small 
tribute  on  the  altar  where  freedom  bled.  And  though  I 
may  add  nothing  new  to  what  has  been  said,  I  may  at 
least  repeat  what  should  be  kept  in  everlasting  remem- 
brance. But  perhaps,  floods  of  tears  would  best  express 
the  feelings  of  my  heart  on  this  solemn  occasion.  I 
may  mourn,  indeed,  since  Lovejoy  is  no  more.  Since 
Lovejoy,  the  amiable,  the  pious,  has  fallen  by  the  hands 
of  assassins,  American  assassins,  Christian  American 
assassins,  nature  unreproved  may  drop  a  tear.  He  fell 
the  victim  of  pro-slavery  influence — he  fell  in  a  manly 
defence  of  the  dearest  rights  of  humanity — the  rights  of 
mind.  Deprive  me  of  property,  of  reputation,  of  friends, 
and  the  loss  may  admit  of  reparation.  But  when  I  am 
deprived  of  the  free  expression  of  thought,  then  my  no- 
ble nature  is  enchained — I  am  a  free  man  no  more.  It 


REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  367 

was  for  the  security  of  this  right  Lovejoy  bled.  Noble 
martyr !  While  thought  is  free  to  scan  the  universe  oi 
God,  thy  name  shall  live  in  sweet  remembrance  in  the 
hearts  of  the  freest  of  the  free  !  Thy  name  shall  be  an 
amulet  from  which,  in  all  coming  time,  tyranny  shall  in- 
stinctively shrink.  Not  for  himself,  sir,  but  for  you,  for 
me,  for  us  all,  for  this  great  nation,  for  the  friends  of  uni- 
versal freedom  throughout  the  world — he  poured  out  his 
patriot  blood.  Had  he  abandoned  the  honourable  post  to 
which  the  Providence  of  God  had  called  him,  he  would 
have  acted  unworthy  his  birth,  his  education,  the  land  ot 
the  pilgrim  fathers,  the  cause  he  had  espoused,  and  that 
Christian  heroine  who  rescued  him  from  the  mob  at  St. 
Charles,  and  who  now  lies  bleeding  on  freedom's  altar, 
the  victim  of  Slavery,  the  continued  expiation  of  this  na- 
tion. But  he  did  not  abandon  that  post,  environed  as  it 
was  with  reckless  foes.  He  stood  like  a  strong  pillar, 
firm  as  the  rock  of  truth  on  which  he  stood.  The  waves 
of  popular  commotion  and  of  pro-slavery  violence,  dashed 
furiously  around  him,  but  every  successive  billow,  as  it 
broke  in  foaming  rage,  only  proved  that  Lovejoy  was 
there.  Calmly  and  self-possessed  he  breasted  the  storm 
at  St.  Louis,  and  then  planted  himself  at  Alton,  where 
he  rationally  expected  the  omnipotent  protection  of  law 
and  public  sentiment.  But  the  demon  of  Slavery  pur- 
sued him.  Its  heated  breath  swept  over  the  elements  of 
oppression,  and  kindled  a  pro-slavery  conflagration. 
Again  was  the  press  consumed,  and  again  met  a  like 
disastrous  fate — but  still  the  form  of  its  protecting  angel 
was  seen  walking  amidst,  the  flame,  unscathed — serene 
as  the  heaven  which  sustained  him, — fast  maturing  for 
its  holier  enjoyments,  and  more  unfading  glories.  But 
now  the  hour  of  his  departure  was  at  hand.  He  bared  his 
bosom  to  the  sword — all  was  still — 'twas  the  silence  of 


368  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

death.  Illinois  trembled— Alton  fell  to  the  ground  ;  its 
glory  was  departed. 

Come  now,  ye  ministers  of  Jesus,  and  behold  an  am- 
bassador of  your  Lord,  sealing  the  doctrines  of  humanity 
with  his  blood.  Sublime  spectacle  !  Gaze  on  it  till  your 
spirit  catch  the  mantle  of  your  ascended  brother,  and 
your  hearts  expand  with  a  martyr's  love  for  your  crushed 
brethren  in  chains.  Weep,  weep  bitterly,  not  for  the 
departed,  but  for  the  heaven-forsaken  people  who  have 
imbued  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  an  innocent,  unoffend- 
ing minister  of  Jesus.  Lift  up  your  voice,  eloquent 
through  grief,  and  demand,  with  the  authority  of  your 
divine  commission,  that  the  church  cleanse  herself  of 
this  guilt,  by  ceasing  to  shield  a  system  prolific  of  deeds 
of  which  this  is  one,  marked  with  odious  and  horrid 
peculiarities. 

Ye  sentinels  on  the  watch-tower  of  liberty,  turn  aside 
for  one  moment  and  contemplate  this  tragic  scene.  Like 
you,  Lovejoy  was  stationed  on  the  ramparts  of  freedom. 
But  his  was  a  dangerous  post — a  post  of  glory.  He 
finished  his  work — now  there  he  lies.  Pale  is  that  lofty 
brow,  but  not  with  coward  fear.  Mute  is  that  tongue  ; 
but  it  plead  for  universal  liberty  till  death.  Sealed  are 
those  lips  ;  but  they  ever  scorned  to  kiss  a  tyrant's  hand. 
Yonder  lies  the  pen,  that  true  Damascus  blade  of  mind, 
which  was  wielded  so  skilfully  and  effectually  against 
tyranny  by  that  cold  hand  now  paralyzed  by  the  assas- 
sin's steel.  And  there  are  the  fragments  of  the  press, 
your  own  mighty  engine  of  mental  warfare,  the  palladium 
of  liberty's  self,  stained  with  his  blood  so  fresh  and  warm. 
And  forget  not  his  un expiated  shade  yet  hovers  among 
you.  But  return,  now,  resume  your  pens,  arouse  the 
great  and  guilty  nation  from  its  extreme  and  passive  tor- 
pidity, till  it  shake  off  that  inexplicable  stupor  of  oppres- 


f  REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  369 

sion  which  has  fallen  upon  it — or  prepare  yourselves  to 
be  slaves.  Nay,  rather  let  your  bodies,  like  that  of 
Lovejoy's,  be  laid  among  the  fragments  of  the  press,  than 
that  the  dark  spirit  of  Slavery  should  be  permitted  to  en- 
ter the  sacred  precincts  of  the  temple  of  liberty. 

And  ye  American  mothers,  ye  daughters  of  the  revo- 
lutionary worthies,  come  and  weep  over  the  untimely 
fate  of  the  son  of  that  New  England  mother  who,  when 
she  learned  that  her  son  had  been  slain  for  the  cause  of 
truth,  nobly  exclaimed  :  It  is  well  ;  I  had  rather  my  son 
should  have  fallen  a  martyr  to  his  cause  than  that  he 
should  have  proved  recreant  to  his  principles.  A  mother 
well  worthy  of  such  a  son  !  Mingle  your  tears  with  those 
of  that  mother,  and  those  of  the  bereaved  widow  and 
the  orphan.  Press  more  closely  to  your  hearts  those 
babes  you  so  much  love  ;  but,  remember,  God  only  knows 
whether  they  shall  be  such  orphans,  and  yourselves  such 
widows.  But,  still  with  their  daily  nourishment  let  them 
receive  the  elements  of  purest  patriotism,  of  holiest  free- 
dom. Let  their  infant  lips  early  learn  to  whisper  Love- 
joy — Lovejoy  and  the  freedom  of  the  press.  Tell  them 
full  oft  the  horrid  tragedy  of  Alton.  And  when  they  go 
forth  into  the  world  bid  them  return,  having  valiantly 
maintained  the  liberty  of  thought,  or  with  a  mother's 
blessing  lay  their  bodies  beside  the  illustrious  Lovejoy. 

But,  ye  slaveholders  of  the  south,  go  now,  and  see  a 
noble-hearted  American  slain  at  your  bidding  !  Who  will 
restore  to  your  country  another  Lovejoy,  the  meek,  the 
dignified,  the  unyielding  friends  of  the  liberties  of  your 
nation  1  Why  did  you  command  it  ?  What  was  his 
fault  ?  Was  it  not  the  defence  of  those  principles,  ye 
degenerate  sons  of  noble  fathers,  for  which  your  own 
Henry  and  your  own  Jefferson  eloquently  plead,  and  your 
own  Marion  and  your  own  Washington  exposed  their 


370  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

bosoms  to  the  Briton's  bayonet  ?  See  now  the  legitimate 
fruits  of  the  damnable  tree  of  involuntary  servitude  plant- 
ed by  your  ancestry,  and  which  your  own  hands  have  so 
long,  and  so  assiduously  cultivated.  You  have  brought 
innocent  blood  upon  this  nation.  See  your  own  hands 
red  with  a  brother's  gore  ;  fratricides  that  ye  are.  Has- 
ten now  to  the  city  of  refuge  ere  the  avenger  of  blood 
overtake  you.  Let  your  penitential  tears  timely  evince 
your  sorrow,  that  your  murderous  stain  may  be  blotted 
out.  Bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance,  by  breaking 
every  yoke  and  letting  the  oppressed  go  free. 

And  thou  city  of  destruction — for  henceforth,  Alton, 
shalt  thou  thus  be  known — come,  come  and  behold  the 
victim  of  your  murderous  spite.  Look,  ye  men  of  Alton, 
on  that  gory  form.  See,  ye  cruel  ministers  of  death,  the 
uncompromising,  the  illustrious  defender  of  freedom  of 
thought  stretched  at  your  feet,  yet  noble  in  death,  and 
yo*r  unhallowed  hands  dripping  with  his  blood.  What 
was  your  price,  ye  mercenaries  in  murder,  that  ye  stain- 
ed the  American  soil  with  blood  as  rich,  as  pure,  as  ever 
traitorous  British  steel  caused  to  flow  on  Bunker  Hill  1 
What  was  your  price,  that  ye  wounded  liberty  in  the 
house  of  her  friends ;  that  ye  plunged  your  dagger  to 
the  heart  of  the  incarnation  of  the  rights  of  mind  ?  Af- 
fect not  to  despise  this  deed  ;  ye  have  done  it,  and  the 
civilized  world  will  hold  you  responsible  for  the  assassi- 
nation of  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy.  The  sword  of  human  jus- 
tice, drunk  with  the  innocent  blood  shed  in  your  streets. 
may  slumber  over  you,  but  eternal  justice  only  delays 
awhile  to  make  your  damnation  surer.  Aye,  even  now, 
barbarous  men  that  ye  are,  the  lightnings  of  your  own 
reason  consume  you.  Wherever  ye  go,  in  whatever 
ye  engage,  the  avenger  of  blood  haunts  your  guilty 
souls.  Not  the  hoarse  laugh  of  your  forced  jests,  not 


j        REV.  E.  P.  LOVEJOY.  371 

the  gloom  of  sullen  silence,  not  the  darkness  of  the 
midnight  hour  can  shut  out  from  your  sight  the  murdered 
Lovejoy : 

"  An  inward  day  that  never  sets, 
Glares  round  your  souls  and  mocks  your  closing  eyelids," 

ever  revealing  the  form  of  the  man  of  God  ye  slew. 


THE   END. 


NOTE. 

WE  take  this  note  from  an  account  of  the  trials,  now  in 
press,  of  those  defending,  and  those  who  attacked  the  ware- 
house on  the  night  of  the  7th  of  November.  John  M.  Krum, 
Mayor,  was  called  and  sworn.  He  was  requested  to  give  a 
connected  account  of  all  the  disturbances,  from  the  formation 
of  the  city  government.  After  detailing  the  events  which 
transpired  on  the  evening  of  the  30th  of  October,  at  which 
time  President  Beecher  preached,  he  proceeds  : 

Subsequently  to  this,  I  was  frequently  called  upon  by  Mr. 
Lovejoy,  (now  deceased.)  Mr.  Tanner,  Roff,  and  others,  and 
my  opinion  asked  in  regard  to  the  propriety  and  expediency  of 
organizing  an  armed  force.  I  remarked  that  at  present  there 
was  no  organized  militia  force  in  the  city,  and  no  force  upon 
which  I  could  depend  upon  in  an  emergency.  They  thought  of 
forming  a  military  company,  and  they  asked  me,  if  in  case  they  did, 
I  would  head  it.  I  told  them  I  could  not,  that  my  official  situ- 
ation was  such  as  would  render  it  impossible.  Mr.  Lovejoy,  in 
particular,  called  repeatedly  upon  me,  and  said,  that  I  ought  to 
command  a  military  force.  I  told  him  I  could  not  consent  to 
do  so  :  that  I  never  should  do  so  unless  it  became  necessary 
for  the  protection  of  the  laws.  We  had  repeated  conversa- 
tions upon  this  subject,  I  repeatedly  and  I  believe  always  told 
Mr.  Lovejoy  that  it  was  within  the  province  of  any  citizens  to 
organize  such  force,  if  they  deemed  it  necessary  they  could  do 
it,  if  they  pleased,  at  any  time.  Mr.  Lovejoy  stated  to  me, 
that  they  wished  to  organize  their  company  under  my  sanction 
in  an  official  capacity,  and  asked  me,  if  I  would  give  such  sanc- 
tion. I  told  him  that  I  could  not ;  and  explained  to  him  the 
reason  why  I  should  feel  bound  to  withhold  it.  I  told  him  what 
the  provisions  of  the  law,  in  regard  to  the  formation  of  such 
companies,  were :  explained  to  him  the  mode  of  proceeding, 
necessary  to  be  followed  in  the  organization  of  their  company. 


NOTE.  373 

Subsequently  to  this,  I  loaned  my  law  books  to  some  one 
who  I  understood  was  to  join  the  company.  ) 

Mr.  Oilman,  in  an  interview  shortly  after,  told  me  that  they 
had  organized  a  company,  and  had  put  themselves  under  the 
command  of  Wm.  Harned  :  he  tendered  me  the  services  of  the 
company,  and  said,  that  they  would  at  all  times  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  obey  any  command  I  might  issue.  I  replied, 
again  thanking  him  for  his  readiness  to  act,  so  often  expressed, 
and  told  him  whenever  the  time  should  come,  in  which  I  should 
think  the  occasion  would  warrant  me  to  call  for  their  services, 
I  should  unhesitatingly  do  it. 

On  the  night  of  the  sixth,  or  rather  on  the  morning  of  the 
seventh  of  November  last,  at  about  three  o'clock,  Mr.  Oilman 
and  Mr.  Roff  came  to  my  room  and  called  me  up.  They  stated 
that  the  press  was  coming — that  the  boat  was  in  sight,  coming 
up  the  river,  and  that  Mr.  Moore  was  upon  the  boat  and  had 
charge  of  the  press  ;  that  arrangements  had  been  made  to 
have  it  safely  landed  and  stored  that  night,  and  they  requested 
me  to  go  down,  and  be  present  at  its  landing  ;  so  that,  in  case 
of  difficulty  or  disturbance,  I  might  be  there  to  suppress  it.  I 
got  up,  dressed  as  quickly  as  I  could,  and  went  down  to  the 
river.  I  stood  at  Mr.  Oilman's  warehouse  while  the  boat  was 
nearing,  and  till  she  landed.  I  did  not  go  on  board,  I  think. 
The  hands  of  the  boat  put  the  press  on  shore,  and  removed  it 
into  the  warehouse.  I  think  I  did  not  have  conversation  with 
any  one  but  Mr.  Oilman  at  this  time.  After  the  press  was 
stored,  I  went  up  into  the  warehouse.  I  found  some  twenty  or 
thirty  people  assembled  :  they  were  all  armed,  and  again  offer- 
ed me  their  services  in  aid  of  the  laws.  I  told  them,  as  I  had 
repeatedly  before,  that  at  the  time  I  did  not  see  any  occasion 
for  their  services,  but  that  if  occasion  should  arise,  when  their 
services  should  be  needed  by  me,  I  should  not  only  call  for  but 
should  expect  to  receive  their  assistance.  On  the  sixth,  Mr. 
Oilman  called  upon  me  at  my  office,  he  introduced,  as  matter 
of  consideration,  the  subject  of  the  rights  of  citizens  to  defend 
their  property.  We  had  a  long  conversation,  I  gave  him  my 
opinion  upon  the  subject,  I  think  I  read  the  law,  and  explained 
to  him  its  principles,  I  do  not  know  whether  he  asked  my  ad- 
32 


374  NOTE. 

vice  as  mayor,  as  lawyer,  or  as  a  friend  and  citizen.  I  did  not 
consider  that  I  was  then  advising  him  as  Mayor.  In  the  course 
of  our  conversation  we  spoke  of  our  municipal  regulations,  1 
told  him  I  thought  they  were  exceedingly  deficient,  and  I  be- 
lieve I  mentioned  in  what  particulars.  He  asked  me  if  1  would 
appoint  special  constables,  said  he  apprehended  danger  to  his 
property.  I  told  him  that  I  had  no  authority  to  make  any  such 
appointment,  that  I  would  cheerfully  do  all  I  could, — that  the 
Council  would  meet  that  day,  and  that  at  their  meeting  I  would 
lay  the  whole  matter  before  them.  When  the  Council  met,  I 
did  make  the  application,  but  I  did  not  recommend  in  terma 
the  appointment  of  such  officers.  I  left  the  whole  matter  to 
the  action  of  the  Board.  I  was  absent  at  the  next  meeting  of 
the  Council,  when  the  records  were  read  or  I  should  have  no- 
ticed the  mistake  in  the  record,  and  had  it  corrected. 

On  the  evening  of  the  7th  of  November  last,  Mr.  Oilman 
and  Mr.  Chappell  called  at  my  office.  They  told  me  they  ap- 
prehended an  attack  would  be  made  upon  the  warehouse,  as 
they  had  understood  the  mob  were  determined  to  destroy  the 
press ;  that  a  number  of  armed  men  had  assembled  and  were 
then  in  the  building  for  the  purpose  of  defending  it ;  and  that 
they  had  come  to  the  resolution  of  remaining  there,  and  de- 
fending it  at  all  hazards.  They  asked  me  what  I  thought  of 
their  determination.  They  spoke  of  the  rumors  they  had 
heard  in  regard  to  the  determination  of  the  mob  to  destroy  the 
press.  At  that  time,  all  was  quiet  in  the  city,  so  far  as  I  know, 
and  I  had  but  a  little  while  before  been  in  the  streets,  and  ob- 
served nothing  which  led  me  to  suppose  an  attack  was  medita- 
ted. I  did  not  believe  an  attack  would  be  made.  I  had  exerted 
myself  that  day,  as  much  as  I  was  able,  and  had  endeavoured 
to  get  all  the  information  which  was  possible.  People  seemed 
to  shun  me,  and  were  very  reluctant  to  communicate  with 
me  at  all,  and  I  could  succeed  in  getting  no  information,  which 
should  have  induced  me  to  believe  any  design  to  destroy  the 
press  was  meditated.  Mr.  Oilman  asked  me  what  I  thought 
of  the  armed  men  who  were  in  the  building,  remaining  there 
for  the  purpose  of  defending  their  property.  I  told  him,  in 
my  opinion  they  had  an  undoubted  right  to  be  there ;  that  they 
might  rightfully  remain  there,  and  that  they  would  be  justified 


NOTE.  375 

In  defending  their  property.  I  did  not  understand  them  as 
making  this  application  for  advice  to  me,  as  Mayor.  Mr.  Git 
man  stated  to  me  that  they  were  well  prepared  with  arms, — 
that  they  should  remain  there  during  the  night, — that  they 
were  fully  determined  to  defend  the  press,  and  the  building, — 
and  that  if  the  attack,  which  they  apprehended,  was  made, 
they  wished  it  to  be  understood  that  their  services  would  be 
ready  to  execute  any  order  they  might  receive  from  any  civil 
officer.  I  replied  to  them,  that,  if  the  emergency  should  re- 
quire the  aid  of  armed  men,  I  should  not  hesitate  a  moment  in 
commanding  the  men  who  were  assembled  there  to  suppress 
the  riot,  but  that  I  should  be  the  sole  judge  of  such  an  emer- 
gency. He  repeatedly  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  their  be- 
ing there.  I  never  ordered  any  man  to  repair  to  the  ware- 
house ;  but  in  every  instance,  I  was  informed  that  they  had 
already  repaired  there.  Mr.  Oilman  repeatedly  told  me,  that 
all  he  desired  was  to  act  under  the  authority  of  law,  and  the 
civil  officers.  After  Mr.  Oilman  left,  I  remained  in  my  office 
till  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock.  I  stepped  in  to  Dr.  Hart's 
office  at  that  time,  and  while  I  was  there,  I  heard  a  number  of 
people  passing  by.  There  were  from  fifteen  to  twenty.  Im- 
mediately came  down  stairs.  I  recognized  two  of  the  crowd ; 
one  of  them  had  a  gun.  I  got  my  overcoat,  prepared  myself, 
returned  to  the  street,  but  saw  no  one.  I  came  down  to  Mr. 
Robbins'  office, — sent  for  Judge  Martin  and  other  civil  officers, 
and  waited  some  time  for  them  to  come — Mr.  Robbins  and  my- 
self finally  started  together.  As  I  was  going  down  the  stairs 
I  heard  two  reports  from  fire-arms, — from  the  sound,  I  thought 
they  were  pistols, — the  reports  seemed  to  be  low,  I  soon  heard 
another  which  I  took  to  be  a  gun.  I  hastened  up,  and  soon 
saw  people  carrying  a  man, — it  was  Bishop.  I  stepped  up  to 
them  and  asked  if  any  one  was  hurt, — they  replied  yes,  one  of 
our  men  was  shot — I  asked  if  he  was  much  hurt, — they  said 
they  thought  not.  They  seemed  much  excited, — I  endeavour- 
ed to  persuade  them  to  disperse — a  crowd  gathered  round  me  ; 
I  addressed  them,  and  used  all  the  means  in  my  power  to  in- 
duce them  to  disperse.  I  asked  them  what  they  intended  to  do. 
They  said  they  were  determined  to  have  the  press.  Some  one 
proposed  that  I  should  let  those  inside  the  warehouse  know  that 


376  NOTE. 

they  wanted  the  press  ;  that  they  would  have  it  at  all  events, 
and  said,  they  would  retire  while  I  went  in  and  communicated 
their  determination.  I  acceded,  supposing  that  if  we  could 
once  get  them  scattered,  the  excitement  would  subside  and  we 
could  then  control  them.  They  retired,  and  I  went  to  the 
warehouse.  Mr.  Gilman  opened  the  door,  and  let  me  (with 
Mr.  Rohbins  and  I  believe  Mr.  West  also,)  in.  He,  Mr.  Gil- 
man, asked  me  how  many  outside  were  injured,  if  any.  I  told 
him  there  was  but  one  injured,  so  far  as  I  knew, — that  there 
were  but  few  outside.  I  then  told  Mr.  Gilman  what  the  mob 
said  they  wanted,  and  the  determination  they  had  expressed ; 
and  I  also  stated  my  impression,  that,  when  I  went  out,  we 
could  control  them.  I  staid  in  the  warehouse  some  time  pur- 
posely, longer  than  I  otherwise  should,  in  order  that  the  ex- 
citement should  subside,  as  I  had  no  doubt  it  would. 

While  in  the  warehouse,  I  went  up  on  to  the  second  flooi 
I  saw  there,  Gilman,  Lovejoy,  Walworth,  Long,  and  (I  think,  but 
am  not  positive,)  Hurlbut,  and  some  others.  I  think  I  saw  some 
arms  about  the  walls.  Gilman,  Long,  and  Lovejoy,  had  guns 
in  their  hands.  Gilman  told  me  that  two  or  three  guns  had 
been  fired  from  the  house.  Deacon  Long  asked  me  if  they 
were  justified.  I  replied  most  certainly,  I  thought  they  were. 
My  impression  was  that  we  should  be  able  to  quell  any  further 
disturbance,  when  we  went  out ;  and  I  so  expressed  myself.  I 
had  no  idea  any  further  attack  would  be  made. 

Question  by  W.  S.  Gilman. — On  the  night  of  the  6th  when 
I  called  you  up,  and  you  went  down  to  the  warehouse,  did  you 
not  go  into  the  building  before  the  press  was  landed  ? 

Answer. — Yes,  I  believe  I  did,  I  think  I  did. 

Question. — Did  you  not  ask  me  to  go  out,  and  did  I  not  go 
out  and  stand  by  your  side  on  the  wharf  at  the  time  the  press 
was  landed  ? 

Answer. — Yes,  you  did. 

Question. — When  the  press  was  landing,  did  I  not  ask  you 
to  go  down  and  receive  it,  and  did  you  not  say  that  as  I  was  the 
owner,  I  had  better  go  down  and  receive  it,  and  you  would  be 
by  my  side  ? 

Answer. — There  was  a  proposition  of  that  kind  made,  and  1 


NOTE.  377 

believe  I  made  it.  I  thought  as  you  owned  it,  you  ought  to  be 
there  to  receive  it  when  it  was  landed. 

Question. — Did  you  not  tell  us  we  had  better  not  leave  the 
warehouse,  not  even  to  go  to  our  meals,  without  some  being 
there  to  guard  it  ? 

Answer. — I  think  I  told  you,  you  had  better  keep  a  guard 
there,  or  something  to  that  effect. 

Question. — Did  I  not  seem  anxious  to  know  what  to  do  ? 

Answer. — You  did :  you  appeared  anxious  that  whatever  was 
done  should  be  done  under  the  sanction  of  the  civil  authority. 

Question. — What  course  did  you  say  you  should  take  in  case 
the  press  should  be  attacked  ? 

Answer. — I  told  you  that  if  there  was  any  danger  that  the 
people  should  attack  the  press,  I  should  order  them  to  desist, 
and  should  warn  them  of  the  serious  consequences  which  would 
follow  any  attempt  on  their  part  to  disturb  or  destroy  the  press. 

Question. — Did  you  not  say  that  if  the  press  was  attacked, 
you  should  first  order  the  mob  to  desist,  and  that  if  thfiy  per- 
sisted you  should  then  order  us  to  fire  ? 

Answer. — I  believe  I  did.  I  said  I  should  if  it  became  ne- 
cessary. 

Question. — Did  you  not  at  this  time  consider  you  appeared 
there  as  Mayor. 

Answer. — I  did.  I  once  agreed  in  one  of  the  interviews  I 
had  with  Mr.  Oilman,  to  appoint  Captain  Harned  a  special 
constable  at  his  (Mr.  Oilman's)  request ;  but  afterwards,  upon 
examination,  I  found  I  had  no  authority  to  make  such  appoint- 
ment. I  did  not  consider  the  armed  force  at  the  church,  or  at 
the  landing  of  the  press,  as  organized  under  my  authority. 

I  have  lived  in  the  city  for  nearly  five  years.  Godfrey  and 
Oilman  built  the  warehouse  which  was  attacked  ;  it  has  been 
in  their  possession  ever  since  I  have  known  the  place.  * 

I  heard  no  noise  in  the  warehouse,  on  the  night  of  the  7th. 
I  saw  but  few  persons  there,  I  saw  Mr.  Oilman  first,  on  the 
lower  floor ;  I  saw  Mr.  Long,  Lovejoy,  and  Hurlbut,  and  I  pre- 
sume others,  but  do  not  recollect  who. 

I  know  Mr.  Oilman  to  be  an  orderly  citizen.  I  gave  no  or- 
ders while  I  was  in  the  building,  either  to  Oilman  or  any 
one  else  restraining  them  from  firing,  or  doing  any  thing  else. 
32* 


378  NOTE. 

I  saw  no  occasion  for  doing  so.  I  thought  they  had  a  right  to  do 
as  they  were  doing.  When  I  went  out  I  commanded  the  people 
assembled  there  to  disperse.  Had  I  seen  any  thing  riotous  on 
the  part  of  those  in  the  warehouse,  I  should  have  ordered  them 
to  desist,  I  should  have  commanded  them  to  disperse.  When 
I  first  went  up,  the  front  of  the  store  had  been  broken  in.  Some 
shot  struck  my  hat  while  I  was  addressing  the  crowd.  The 
guns  were  fired  outside  the  building,  and  I  thought  from  the 
south-east  corner  of  the  warehouse ;  there  were  three  guns 
fired  at  the  people  who  were  raising  the  ladder  to  the  ware- 
house. I  supposed  the  shot  which  reached  me  was  h'red  at 
them ;  and  I  afterwards  ascertained  that  I  stood  about  in  the 
direction.  '•3.-* 

The  two  first  discharges  were  from  the  outside,  and  they 
were  the  first  which  were  fired,  I  think.  -*. 

Question  by  Defendant's  Counsel.  From  all  the  circumstan- 
stances  in  the  case,  have  you  any  doubt  that  Mr.  Oilman  in 
what  he  did,  supposed  he  had  your  sanction  1  <*•« 

Answer. — From  all  the  circumstances,  I  am  induced  to  be  • 
lieve  that  Mr.  Oilman  supposed  he  was  acting  under  my  au- 
thority. While  I  was  in  the  storehouse  some  conversation 
took  place  about  the  right  which  a  man  had  to  defend  his  pro- 
perty. I  uniformly  told  them  that  they  had  a  right  to  be  there. 
I  told  them  they  were  justified  in  defending  their  property,  but  I 
told  them  so  as  a  lawyer.  While  I  was  in  the  warehouse,  I 
told  them  if  they  were  out  of  doors,  I  should  command  their 
aid  in  suppressing  the  riot,  but  that  I  could  not  command  them 
while  they  remained  there. 

Cross  examined.  While  I  was  in  the  building,  I  gave  no 
directions  to  those  inside  as  to  the  mode  of  resistance  they 
should  adopt.  I  considered  that  they  acted  upon  their  own  re- 
sponsibility, but  I  gave  them  my  legal  opinion.  I  took  the 
message  which  the  mob  requested  me  to  take,  and  communi- 
cated it  to  those  inside.  I  told  them  that  the  mob  swore  they 
would  have  the  press  at  all  hazards.  Gilman  replied,  that  they 
had  resolved  to  defend  the  press  at  the  risk  of  their  lives,  and 
that  they  could  not  give  it  up.  I  saw  Gilman,  Lovejoy,  Hurl- 
but,  and  Long,  and  I  recollect  of  no  othere  now  whom  I  saw 
with  guns. 


NOTE.  379 

In  my  remarks  to  the  mob,  I  returned  the  language  of  Oil- 
man ;  I  spoke  to  them  of  the  dangers  they  were  in,  the  lawn 
they  were  violating,  and  the  penalties  they  were  incurring  by 
the  breach  of  those  laws. 

Question  by  Linder  for  Government. — Did  Mr.  Oilman  ever 
tell  you  what  principles  that  press  was  intended  to  advocate  1 

Ansiver. — I  do  not  think  he  ever  did.  He  once  told  me  that  it 
was  not  determined  whether  the  press  should  be  established 
here,  or  at  some  other  place. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  heard  Oilman  say  any  thing  about 
keeping  Mr.  Lovejoy  here,  or  persuading  him  to  go  off. 

I  never  did  confer  upon  those  who  were  inside  any  anthority 
to  assemble ;  or  give  them  any  order  to  fire  upon  the  people 
outside.  I  endeavoured  in  the  interviews  I  had  with  Mr.  Oil- 
man to  explain  to  him  the  law. 

Question  by  Linder  for  Government. — Did  you  ever  state  to 
Mr.  Oilman  that  he  could  not  resort  to  violence,  unless  under 
the  direction  of  an  officer  of  the  law  ? 

Answer. — I  do  not  think  I  ever  did.  I  told  him  that  every  man 
had  a  right  to  defend  his  person  and  property,  and  to  use  violence 
if  it  was  necessary,  and  that  each  man  must  judge  of  his  extremity. 
I  repeatedly  stated  to  him,  that  whenever  a  case  presented  itself, 
when  I  thought  the  emergency  required  it,  I  should  not  hesitate 
to  call  upon  those  men,  or  any  other,  to  aid  me  in  maintaining 
order ;  but,  I  thought  it  must  be  an  extreme  case  which  would 
justify  such  a  course.  I  advised  Mr.  Oilman,  in  case  of  any 
disturbance,  to  address  the  crowd  in  the  first  place  ;  I  thought 
he  took  a  correct  view  of  the  matter.  I  told  him  what  course 
I  should  probably  take  if  I  was  placed  in  a  similar  situation ; 
but  in  all  instances  I  advised  him  as  a  friend,  and  a  citizen,  and 
not  as  an  officer.  I  might  have  been  desired  to  remain  in  the 
building,  at  the  time  I  went  in.  I  think  I  was,  and  that  I  re- 
plied that  I  could  have  more  influence  with  the  crowd  out  of 
doors.  At  the  time  I  addressed  the  crowd,  after  I  came  out  of 
the  warehouse,  I  think  I  stated  to  them,  that  unless  they  dis- 
persed they  would  be  fired  upon  by  those  in  the  building.  If 
I  recollect  right,  the  mob  made  no  reply.  They  advised  me  to 
get  out  of  the  way  and  go  home. 

Question  by  Defendant's  Counsel. — At  the  time  you  seated 


380  NOTE. 

to  Mr.  Oilman  and  others,  that  if  they  were  outside  you  should 
command  them  to  aid  you,  was  any  proposition  made  by  any 
one  for  them  to  go  out  ? 

Answer. — There  was  no  proposition  made  by  them,  or  to 
them,  to  go  out  of  doors.  They  expressed  their  readiness  to 
obey  any  orders  I  might  give  them. 

Question  by  Linderfar  Government. — Did  you  give  them  any 
orders  ? 

Answer. — I  did  not. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page. 

Grandfather — Parents — Extracts  from  funeral  sermon  of 
father, 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

Birth — Early  and  ardent  desire  for  knowledge — Sports — 
Seeks  a  public  education — Enters  College — Poetry  while 
there — Graduates — Poem,  V^»  O  ' 17 

CHAPTER  III. 

Leaves  for  the  West — Poetry — "  Farewell" — "Wanderer,"    27 
CHAPTER  IV. 

Arrives  at  St.  Louis — Letter  to  Parents — Deep  conviction 
of  sin — Account  of  conversion — Determines  to  prepare  for  the 
ministry — Letter  from  Parents,  .  33 

CHAPTER  V. 

Arrives  at  Princeton — Letters  to  Parents — To  Brothers 
and  Sisters, ' .  '  '  £  '  .47 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Returns  to  the  West — Becomes  Editor  of  the  St.  Louis 
Observer — First  article — Extracts  from  paper — "  What  is 
Truth  1" — "  The  past  year" — "  Faith"—"  Conversion  of  the 
world" — "  Europe" — Sickness — "Vain  Philosophy" — "Vani- 
ty of  man"— "Sir  Isaac  Newton"— Sabbath  at  "Apple  Creek,"  67 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Further  extracts — "  Transubstantiation" — "  Nunneries" 
"  Why  discuss  the  subject  of  Popery  V — "St.  Louis  Argus,"  103 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Views  on  immediate  Abolition — "  Slavery" — Letter  from 
the  Editor  of  the  Observer, 117 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Marriage — Note  of  Publishers  of  the  Observer — Of  Pro- 
prietors— Letter  from  the  same  to  the  Editor — Resolutions  of 
the  citizens  of  St.  Louis — Appeal  to  fellow-citizens  .  133 


382  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Page 

Letters  to  Brother— To  Mother— To  Archibald  Gamble, 
Esq. — Burning  of  Mclntosh — Charge  of  Judge  Lawless — 
Removal  of  the  Observer  to  Alton, 155 

CHAPTER  XL 

Arrival  at  Alton — Mob — Letter  to  Brother — To  Mother— 
Extracts  from  the  Observer  while  at  Alton — "  The  bubble 
burst" — "  To  Rev.  Asa  Cummings" — "  Amalgamation" — 
Boston  Recorder— Christian  Mirror — "  The  right  remedy" 
-"Faultfinders," '  .  .  .  180 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Petitions — State  Anti-Slavery  Society— An ti- Abolition, 
called  the  "Market  House  Meeting"— Pledge — Extract 
from  first  number  of  the  Observer — Correspondence — Ex- 
tracts from  the  Missouri  Republican — Destruction  of  the 
Observer  Office — Escape  of  the  Editor  from  the  mob — Expo- 
sition of  anti-slavery  sentiments,  ....  .211 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Appeal  to  the  friends  of  the  Alton  Observer — Response  to 
same — Conditional  resignation  of  the  Editor — Meeting  of 
friends  to  consider  the  same — Letter  to  Rev.  J.  Leavitt  giv- 
ing account  of  mob  at  St.  Charles,  .  ....  845 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Meetings  of  the  Colonization  Society — State  Convention — 
State  Anti-Slavery  Society  formed — Public  meeting— Re- 
marks of  Mr.  Lovejoy  at  the  same — Arrival  of  the  press — 
Civil  authorities— Press  safely  landed  and  stored— Descrip- 
tion of  the  warehouse  where  it  was  deposited — Account  of 
armed  mob — Warehouse  set  on  fire — Death  of  Mr.  Lovejoy 
—Burial— Family— Poetry,  .  .  ...  .  .261 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Concluding  remarks — Letter  of  Dr.  Chaplin— Extracts 
from  Mr.  McKeen's  sermon — Public  meetings — Voice  of  the 
Press, 296 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Extracts  from  address  to  citizens  of  Alton — Speeches  of 
Messrs.  Stewart  and  Parburt.  ....  .  338 


W"  UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS-URBANA 


2ddoc 


prom' 
THE 
Slavery  Pa 

A  J 

Jrom  win 


30112025370310 


•ry  attaif 

with  files 
iis  country  ;  tog 
tpers. 


ts 

u  Virginian,    -  "         ;  15' 

"         '  JO 

The  Am  v  Rev.  \V.  W.  Patlci 

Pali/ 

. 
- 

•rty  Aim?.: 

HI 

i  i     ' 

THE 

ice 
vvxll  be  as  f 

.., 

10    "     - 

15    "  , 

20  n.t'. 

-     6.00 

21.00        do. 


